J&K Introduces Uniform Building Permission Fee Structure Across Urban Areas

Srinagar, Jul 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has introduced a uniform building permission fee structure across all Urban Local Bodies and Development Authorities in the Union Territory to bring greater transparency, consistency and efficiency to the building approval process. An order issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department on Tuesday said the revised fee structure will apply to all Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils, Municipal Committees and Development Authorities with effect from July 29, 2026. Under the new policy, the building permission fee for residential houses and housing colonies has been fixed at ₹80 per square metre, while commercial and institutional buildings, including shops, offices, industrial units, hospitals, schools and other public establishments, will be charged ₹270 per square metre. For mixed-use buildings with both residential and commercial components, the fee has been set at ₹150 per square metre. Religious structures have been exempted from payment of the building permission fee. The government has also standardised debris and construction waste management charges across the Union Territory. Residential projects will be required to pay ₹3,000, while commercial, institutional and other non-residential projects will be charged ₹10,000. According to the order, any construction undertaken without obtaining prior approval will attract a compounding fee equal to 40 per cent of the applicable building permission fee, in addition to the regular charges, wherever such cases are eligible for regularisation under the relevant provisions. Officials said the building permission fee will be calculated on the total approved built-up area of a project and collected exclusively through the Online Building Permission System (OBPS) to ensure transparency, accountability and ease of compliance. The order further states that no Urban Local Body or Development Authority will be allowed to revise or modify the notified fee structure without obtaining prior approval from the Housing and Urban Development Department. The government said the decision is intended to remove disparities in building permission charges across urban areas, streamline the approval process and establish a transparent, uniform and citizen-friendly regulatory framework throughout Jammu and Kashmir.