Srinagar, Feb 25: The Housing and Urban Development Department’s online building permission portal has finally been restored, weeks after its prolonged inaccessibility was highlighted by Rising Kashmir in its January 10 report.
The portal, which had remained non-functional since December 1, 2025, coinciding with the notification of amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2021, is now operational, bringing relief to applicants whose building permissions had been stalled.
The January 10 report had detailed how residents were facing uncertainty after the amended bye-laws mandated that all building-related approvals, from submission of plans to scrutiny, inspections, and issuance of occupancy certificates, be processed exclusively through the online system. With the portal inaccessible, both fresh applications and pending cases had effectively remained frozen.
Applicants had expressed concern that despite the enforcement of mandatory online processing, there was no clarity on restoration timelines or interim arrangements, resulting in delays in construction planning and project execution across Srinagar.
Following the report, the portal has now resumed functioning, allowing registered architects and engineers to upload plans and initiate scrutiny as required under the revised framework. The restoration is expected to ease procedural bottlenecks and streamline approvals in accordance with the amended regulations.
Several residents said the resumption of the system has provided much-needed clarity. However, some applicants said that the backlog created during the period of inaccessibility would require expedited handling to prevent further delays.
The amended bye-laws were introduced to ensure transparency, automated scrutiny, and compliance with planning norms such as plot size, setbacks, height regulations, and parking provisions. With the portal now live, the department is expected to resume full digital processing as envisioned under the updated regulatory regime.
The temporary disruption had raised concerns about implementation readiness following the notification of mandatory online approvals. The restoration of the portal is likely to stabilise construction-related processes in the city.
