DIGITAL GOVERNANCE OR DIGITAL HARASSMENT? Property owners question e-Aasthi system

Hubballi, 

Who said introducing technology into governance would simplify procedures, streamline approvals and make civic services hassle free? For hundreds of residents in Hubballi-Dharwad, the much-publicised e Aasthi and Nirman-2 portals have instead become symbols of frustration, delays and alleged harassment.

Residents across the twin cities are facing severe delays in updating ownership details under the e-Aasthi system, while property owners planning construction projects say they are unable to begin work because their files remain stuck in the Nirman-2 approval process for months.

Ironically, despite being fully digital platforms where applicants upload documents online and receive permissions electronically, citizens allege they are still being forced to repeatedly visit municipal offices and submit physical records to move their files forward. Several residents claimed that property mutation applications under e Aasthi, which are supposed to be cleared within weeks, are taking several months with no clarity or accountability.

Suresh Kiresur, Chairman of the Indian Concrete Institute, alleged that the digital portals have become breeding grounds for red tape and harassment, leaving thousands of applications pending across zonal offices. “The e-Aasthi system has virtually collapsed under operational bottlenecks,” Kiresur said. “While the of ficial timeline for clearance is two weeks, files are languishing for five to six months and, in some cases, nearly a year.”

He further alleged that applications often move only through middlemen. “Even when citizens submit all required documents online, officials cite software crashes or technical glitches. Files simply do not move unless agents intervene. The harsh reality is that people believe work happens only if bribes are paid,” he alleged. According to Kiresur, elderly citizens are among the worst affected, making repeated visits to municipal offices for minor corrections.

He also claimed that errors committed by contract-based data entry operators in khata records and electronic property IDs take several more months to rectify. The Nirman-2 portal, introduced to simplify building permissions, is also drawing criticism from applicants and engineers. Despite submitting documents online and paying the necessary challans digitally, applicants allege that authorities continue demanding physical copies of historical land records and other old documents.

“They ask for hard copies even after online submission,” Kiresur said. “In some cases, applicants are being asked to produce 50-year old Non-Agricultural (NA) order copies. If citizens still have to run around carrying physical documents, what is the purpose of launching an online portal?” Speaking to News Trail, Raghunandan Devadiga, a resident planning to construct a house in Shimla Nagar, said the delays are causing severe financial stress to families and builders.

“Construction costs are increasing every day. Bank loans are sanctioned, inter est payments continue, but permissions are not coming through,” he said. A civil engineer, requesting anonymity, alleged that despite earning an estimated Rs 50 crore annually through building permission fees, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has failed to maintain an efficient and transparent approval system. “Citizens are left helpless while files remain pending for months. The software system itself has become a bottleneck,” he said.

Veeresh Goudar (name changed), who purchased a commercial shop in Vijay Nagar several months ago, said his mutation process is still pending despite repeated follow-ups with officials. Recently, a delegation from the Consulting Civil Engineers Association met HDMC Commissioner to seek immediate resolution of the issues related to e Aasthi and Nirman-2.

However, members said they received only assurances, while the ground situation remained unchanged. Responding to the allegations, Assistant Director of Town Planning Vishnu Raghav maintained that Nirman-2 is functioning properly and claimed there are no major pending files in his office. “There were some pending files in certain zonal offices earlier, but our office hardly has any backlog now. We are required to clear files within the stipulated timeframe since these services fall under Sakala,” he said.