Kolkata, May 15 (IANS): Aiming for a single window clearance for projects, the union housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry is in talks with the environment ministry for expediting the process of approval, an official said here Friday.

"The ministry is trying to have a fast system of single window for approvals. We are calling for streamlining the process of approvals," Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Secretary Nandita Chatterjee said here at a Calcutta Chamber of Commerce event.

Talks were on with the environment ministry for delegating the power to grant NOCs for buildings to local authorities, she said.

"The issue of granting NOCs can be categorized on the size of the project. If it is possible for them (environment ministry) subject to their laws and regulations, to delegate this process to the urban local bodies, who at the end of the day, are the authority to give the permission to construct the buildings," said Chatterjee.

"We have been discussing this for some time and we are hopeful of a positive result soon," she said.

In the wake of devastating earth quake in Nepal and India, she also stressed on the use of developing a disaster-restraint technology for buildings.

She said the ministry has been holding discussions with the IITs, and the NITs to ensure that the houses to be built under central projects including the ambitious Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) were disaster resistant.

She also stressed on the "massive" need for developing skills of the workforce for sustainable urbanization.

"India adds over 12 million new entrants to the labour market annually but only two percent of them have certified abilities. There is a massive need for skill building," added Chatterjee.