Ranchi: More than 4,500 applications to regularise unauthorised buildings in Jharkhand have been stuck for over two months after the state’s online portal stopped processing submissions, leaving applicants in limbo and civic bodies unable to act.Ranchi accounts for the highest number of pending applications — 2,239 — with 1,667 files before the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and 572 with the Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA).The portal, launched on May 14 under the Jharkhand Regularisation of Unauthorisedly Constructed Building Rules, 2026, was meant to cover unauthorised structures up to 10 metres high (G+2) on plots measuring up to 300 sq m. The application window closed in mid-July.Applicants said they had paid architects and licensed technical personnel to prepare and upload building plans as required under the rules. With the portal now inactive, they have no clarity on whether their applications will be processed.“I paid an architect to prepare and submit the building plan. Now the portal is closed and we can only wait,” said an applicant, requesting anonymity.Several applicants are also worried that the details they submitted about their unauthorised properties could expose them to penalties. “I applied hoping my plan would be sanctioned, but now I fear the information uploaded on the portal could lead to action against me,” said another homeowner.The rules mandate that document verification, disposal of objections and approval of plans be completed online. As a result, civic bodies have been unable to process physical applications.An RMC official said field teams were awaiting a standard operating procedure (SOP) from the govt before taking further steps.The delay has also drawn criticism from licensed technical professionals and the business community.“Citizens initially welcomed the move, but they are now troubled by the paralysis,” said Sujeet Bhagat, president of the Association of Licensed Technical Professionals of Jharkhand.Bhagat suggested that buildings with deviations from sanctioned plans could be regularised by imposing penalties and approving revised layouts. “This would boost state revenue and provide immediate relief to homeowners,” he said.Tulsi Das Patel, president of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI), said the trade body had sought an expansion of the scheme to cover plots of up to 500 sq m and buildings up to 15 m high.“Everything has been put on hold after we were told there are legal issues with the rules. Govt should ensure that no action is taken against those who have already applied, as they acted in good faith and relied on the scheme,” Patel said.A senior official of the urban development department, requesting anonymity, confirmed that legal issues relating to the rules were being examined. The portal will be restored only after the hurdles are resolved, the official said.
