First ever rural building laws drafted for Jammu Kashmir: Here's everything you need to know

August 7, 2025 by News Desk

Jammu Kashmir government has unveiled a draft of “The Jammu and Kashmir Unified Building Bye-Laws Rural, 2025” to regulate construction activities in areas falling under Panchayats in the region.

According to the draft, the bye-laws will be applicable to Halqa Panchayat areas of Jammu Kashmir. They will not extend to areas under municipal corporations, councils, committees, tourism development authorities, or any other statutory bodies empowered to grant building permissions under existing laws.Kashmir employment

The draft of the building bye-laws has been put in public domain by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

The bye-laws categorise constructions into residential individual houses; commercial buildings, including shops, stores, markets, godowns, and facilities for money transactions, wholesale or retail sales, and storage; and other buildings, such as group housing, low-rise group housing, studio apartments, integrated townships, industrial buildings or complexes, government buildings, buildings constructed for charitable purposes, religious buildings, schools, private hospitals, nursing homes, and telecom towers.

As per these bye-laws, the authority for granting permission for residential individual houses lies with Sarpanch of the Halqa Panchayat or BDO concerned, Secretary Panchayat, Junior Engineer and Patwari Halqa.

The permission for construction of commercial buildings and other types of structures shall be granted by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of the concerned area or Assistant Commissioner Panchayats, Tehsildar, Town Planner or Assistant Executive Engineer Rural Engineering Wing or Assistant Engineer REW, Block Development Officer concerned and Sarpanch of the Halqa Panchayat.

The administration has proposed a fee structure for granting building permissions across different categories.

As per the fee structure, applicants will be required to pay a construction fee ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 15 per sq ft in rural areas. A fee of Rs 3 per sq ft will be levied for residential individual houses, while Rs 15 and Rs 10 per sq ft will be charged for commercial buildings and other types of buildings, respectively.

As per these the bye-laws, the application for seeking construction permission shall be accompanied by site plan, building plan, ownership document of land and an undertaking.

The permission shall remain valid for a period of five years and the validity period of permission for additions and alterations, of all categories, shall be two years from the date of permission, the draft bye-laws state.

“If the construction of the new buildings or extension or alteration of any existing buildings is not completed within the stipulated period, the permission shall require re validated, on application, on payment of 10 percent of the total fee/charges, subject to the rules then in force,” reads the bye-laws. (KNO)