🏛️ Municipal Services Desk
e-Grihanaksha (OBPAS): Online Building Plan Sanction in West Bengal — Documents, LBS & Steps
Step-by-step guide to getting a building plan sanctioned online in West Bengal municipalities through the e-Grihanaksha OBPAS portal — required documents, licensed building surveyor (LBS), fees and tracking.
Before building a house or shop in a municipality area, the municipality’s approved building plan (naksha) is mandatory. And that approval is no longer an office-to-office grind — the whole process now runs online on the Urban Development & Municipal Affairs Department’s e-Grihanaksha (OBPAS) portal: application, inspector report, approval, even the occupancy certificate.
That said, this is the most technical of municipal processes — documents, drawings, engineer signatures — if anything is off, the application bounces back repeatedly. This guide lays out the whole path clearly.
In short: have the plan drawn and signed by an empanelled LBS/engineer → register at obpsudma.wb.gov.in and apply with documents on the Common Application Form → online fee → track status → download the sanction → occupancy certificate after construction.
1. What you need in hand before applying
| Document | Why it’s needed |
|---|---|
| Registered deed (land deed) | Ownership proof — must be uploaded on the portal |
| Land class/mutation porcha | To verify the land’s nature and ownership records |
| Site plan and building plan | Must be prepared and signed by an empanelled LBS or structural engineer |
| Land/holding tax receipt | To check whether any dues remain on the land |
| Aadhaar card, photo, mobile number | Applicant’s details and OTP verification |
| Where applicable: non-encumbrance certificate, neighbour’s consent | Per local rules |
⚠️ The biggest mistake: drawing the plan yourself or through an anonymous ‘plan-wallah’ and submitting it. The portal accepts plans only with the signature and registration number of an LBS (Licensed Building Surveyor) empanelled with the municipality or a qualified engineer — find them at the municipality’s building department or on the portal’s empanelment list.
2. The online application, step by step
Step 1: Do Citizen Registration on the obpsudma.wb.gov.in (e-Grihanaksha / OBPAS) portal — with mobile and OTP.
Step 2: Choose New Building Plan Application and select your municipality/corporation and ward. The required details are filled in a Common Application Form (CAF).
Step 3: Upload the plan (drawing file) prepared by the LBS/engineer and the documents. The plan must follow the building rules — FAR (Floor Area Ratio), setbacks, parking.
Step 4: Check the fee calculation, pay online and save the application number.
Step 5: Track the status on the portal itself — the inspector report and any notice to submit corrections come online.
Step 6: Once approved, download the sanction letter and approved plan. After construction, apply for the Occupancy Certificate under the same application.
3. Common reasons applications come back
- FAR or setback rules not followed in the plan — have the LBS recalculate.
- Name mismatch between deed and land records — fix the mutation first.
- The plan’s signatory is not empanelled — verify the empanelment list.
- Holding tax dues — take the receipt before submitting.
- Wrong ward/municipality selected — choose the correct ULB per the address.
4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Does this portal work in Kolkata (KMC) too?
KMC has its own separate rules and process; e-Grihanaksha is mainly for municipalities and other ULBs. In Kolkata follow KMC’s building department rules.
2. All this process for a small two-storey house too?
Yes — an approved plan is mandatory for any construction in a municipal area. For small houses the fees and process are comparatively simpler.
3. Is a plan needed for renovating an old house?
Yes, if the external structure is changed, floors are added or the use changes. A fresh coat of paint or routine interior repairs generally doesn’t need one — if in doubt, ask the municipality’s building department.
4. An agent says he’ll get ‘fast approval through connections’?
Approval happens by the portal’s rules. Paying money in the name of ‘connections’ is fraud — be wary if a large sum is demanded before the sanction; fees are paid on the portal itself.
5. Beware of fraud
🛡️ Is that ‘approval paper’ genuine? An online sanction is always visible in your own account on the portal — don’t believe just because the agent holds a paper. Log into the portal and see the sanction’s status with your own eyes.
Related guides: for business, read the online application and renewal of Trade License (CoE) and, to fix land ownership records, the holding tax and property mutation guide.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is e-Grihanaksha?
The Urban Development & Municipal Affairs Department's online building plan approval system (OBPAS) — applications for new construction, renovation or occupancy certificates in municipality/corporation areas can be submitted and tracked online, and approvals also come online.
Why is an LBS or licensed building surveyor needed?
Before submitting the plan online, the design must be prepared and signed by a building surveyor (LBS) empanelled with the municipality or a suitable structural/geotechnical engineer. Plans submitted without them are not accepted — this is the single most important condition of the process.
How much does house plan approval cost?
Fees depend on the municipality's class, plot size and construction volume — there is no single fixed figure. The fee calculation is shown on the portal at the time of application and can be paid online.
What is FAR (Floor Area Ratio)?
FAR determines the maximum floor area that can be built relative to plot size. The maximum FAR is fixed under the municipality's building rules; the LBS/engineer will calculate the correct FAR for your plot and draw the plan. Exceeding the FAR stalls approval.
What else must be done after the house is built?
Once construction is completed as per the approved plan, apply for the **Occupancy Certificate** on the same portal. This certificate is needed for electricity connection, selling the house or a loan — many skip it and face problems later.