SRINAGAR: The proposed construction of a new G+4 building at Chest Diseases Hospital, Dalgate, Srinagar, is awaiting the requisite permission from the J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) or the Building Operation and Controlling Authority (BOCA), delaying the grant of administrative approval for the project.
The Health and Medical Education Department disclosed the status in a reply to a starred question by Lal Chowk MLA Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed Pardesi in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
The department said the Chest Diseases Hospital is functioning from an old heritage building, but maintained that the required standards of medical treatment remain a priority and that the necessary infrastructure requirements of the hospital are being maintained.
Regarding the proposed new building, the department confirmed that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) had been prepared and received by it in February 2026 after being vetted by the concerned Chief Engineer of the Public Works (R&B) Department.
The DPR, bearing No. CE/CK/DB/4129-30 dated June 25, 2025, envisages construction of a G+4 building at the hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 1,999.53 lakh, or nearly Rs 20 crore.
However, the department said administrative approval could not be accorded because the prerequisite permission from the J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) or the Building Operation and Controlling Authority (BOCA), Srinagar, is still awaited.
The department said it would initiate the process of according administrative approval once the requisite permission or NOC is received.
A token provision of Rs 73 lakh has already been earmarked for the project under the Capex Budget for 2026-27 to facilitate its taking up, the government said. The provision can be enhanced at the Revised Estimates stage depending on the actual progress of execution.
The department said funding and execution modalities would subsequently be taken forward in accordance with prescribed procedures, with the stated objective of commencing the work at the earliest.
The government reply did not specify a fixed date for grant of administrative approval or commencement of construction, as these steps are contingent upon receipt of the requisite clearance.
