Ilyas orders timelines for approval of architectural drawings.

MUZAFFARABAD -- Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has directed two main departments of state dealing with building infrastructure to constitute design working committees and fix timelines for approval of architectural drawings.

Apart from the professional engineers and architects, the proposed committees should also include two renowned citizens of good education and repute as members from the civil society, he said in his directives to the physical planning and housing (PPH) and local government and rural development (LGRD) departments.

The design approving authority should finalise the approval process within a period of one month after the submission of drawings, said the AJK premier who is himself a real estate and construction industry tycoon.

Elaborating, he said the departmental observations should be recorded in three days if expedient and in the event of any objection, one week's time should be given for resubmission of drawings.

In default of approval within the stipulated period, the authority would render itself liable to a penalty of Rs 500,000 which would double if the process was not completed within next month, he held.

The AJK premier further directed both the departments to ensure that fire safety aspects were an essential and mandatory part of drawings for issuance of 'no objection certificate' (NOC) for construction.

The departments should engage fire safety and hardscape professionals in the process of such approvals, he said.

He said that separate sewers should be...