Realtors demand one-stop cell for blg approval

Private realtors demanded of the government to introduce one-stop-service cell for facilitating approval of building design under Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) within 45 to 90 days, as they alleged inordinate delays in getting it gone.
They made the plea Wednesday at a meeting on how to resolve problems facing the real-estate industry with Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain in the conference room of the ministry at the secretariat.
A fourteen-member REHAB (Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh) delegation headed by its president met with the minister.
REHAB president Alamgir Shamsul Alamin said: "We are facing trouble due to lengthy process of getting approval to building design and lack of coordination among different organizations in this regard."
He listed a total of 11 organisations involved in the approval of building design. "When we seek approval from RAJUK for building design, RAJUK asks for clearance from all the 11 organisations," he said.
"So we have to apply all of the organizations individually, which is a tough job. Now we have to wait around one to three years to get approval to building design under the territory of RAJUK," he said on a note of frustration over the cumbersome process.
The minister assured the REHAB leaders that he would call an inter-ministerial meeting with the ministries concerned for activating the one-stop cell to approve the building design within 45 days.
The REHAB-listed around 11 ministries and organisations involved in approval of building design include RAJUK, Fire Service, Civil Aviation, Department of environment, Police, Traffic, WASA (Water Supply and Sewerage Authority), Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited (DPDC) of Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) and City Corporation.
Regarding the opportunity for undisclosed money investment in property, provided in the national budget for 2014-15, the REHAB president told the reporters after the meeting: "Thousands of cores of undisclosed taka are going to different countries like Canada, Malaysia and Dubai."
He added: "With the decision of government, we are hopeful that the money will be invested in the real-estate sector of the country and will not be sent to foreign countries."
In reply to a question on getting bank loan, the industry leader said" "At this moment a lot of idle money is available with banks which can be given as loan to the realtors, but the interest rate should be single-digit."  
REHAB senior vice-president Rabiul Haque, vice-presidents Liaqat Ali Bhuiyan and Anwaruzzaman and general secretary Md Wahiduzzaman were among others present at the meeting.