Srinagar: In a major shift towards regulated development in the countryside, Jammu and Kashmir is set to introduce building bylaws for all rural areas under Halqa Panchayats.
A first-of-its-kind framework titled ‘Jammu and Kashmir Building Permission (Rural Areas) Procedure, 2025’ is being finalised to bring construction activity in rural regions under a legal and accountable system of permissions and oversight.
The framework will apply to all areas under Halqa Panchayats across the Union Territory, excluding those governed by municipal bodies, tourism development authorities or other designated agencies. Once officially notified, approval will be mandatory for any rural construction activity, including new buildings, extensions, reconstructions, alterations, or changes in the use of buildings.
On Tuesday, the initiative was formally discussed in a high-level meeting chaired by Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including Director RDD Kashmir Shabir Hussain Bhat, Director RDD Jammu Mumtaz Ali, Director Panchayati Raj Sham Lal, Director Finance Umar Khan, Joint Director Planning Kamal Kumar Sharma, Superintending Engineers from REW Kashmir and Jammu, and others.
Speaking at the meeting, the Secretary said the draft procedure draws legal backing from the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 and the accompanying Rules of 1996. “Section 12 (2)(iv) of the Act empowers Halqa Panchayats to regulate buildings, shops and entertainment houses,” he noted, “and Rules 155 and 156 require mandatory approvals for construction, reconstruction or alterations.”
The Secretary said this legal structure was long overdue in rural areas where construction has so far proceeded in a largely unregulated fashion. “This framework brings long-awaited legal and procedural clarity to rural construction. It ensures accountability and offers a citizen-friendly mechanism that truly empowers the grassroots,” Aijaz Asad said.
The proposed procedure also mandates that every application must be processed within a strict 30-day cycle—15 days for internal review, 10 days for decision-making, and 5 days for communicating outcomes to applicants.
“This framework is not merely regulatory, it is transformational,” the Secretary said. “It restores people’s trust, strengthens Panchayati Raj and brings a structured, rule-based approach to rural development.”
To ensure a smooth rollout, the Secretary asked officials to expedite work on the Online Building Permit System (OBPS), which will enable digital submission and tracking of applications, enhance transparency, and reduce procedural delays. He also directed that a detailed database of all permissions granted must be maintained, along with a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance.
He added that when construction proposals do not fall clearly under the J&K Rural Building Bye Laws, officials must refer to a hierarchical sequence of national and state-level guidelines. These include the J&K Unified Building Bye Laws 2021, Model Building Bye Laws of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (2006), guidelines for disabled-friendly facilities in buildings, and the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC).
Officials were asked to treat citizen convenience as central to the implementation, while maintaining regulatory rigour.
