The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) has initiated a plan to empanel qualified architects, allowing residents in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, to directly access certified professionals for building plan approvals. This decision, directed by LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar, aims to streamline the approval process by reducing the role of middlemen, who often inflate costs and complicate submissions. The LDA will publish a list of empanelled architects, ensuring that only registered professionals from the Council of Architecture can apply. This new system is expected to enhance the quality of applications, speed up approvals, and minimize technical errors, ultimately benefiting both individual applicants and developers. A service fee of ₹75 per square metre will be charged, and top-performing architects will receive quarterly incentives of up to ₹50,000 to encourage quality submissions.