SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has prescribed a 21-day time limit for issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) required for building permissions from a range of departments and authorities, bringing the services under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011.
The General Administration Department issued the notification on October 8, 2026, specifying the stipulated timelines along with the designated officers and appellate authorities responsible for processing the NOCs.
The notification, issued by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government M. Raju, IAS, covers 18 categories of NOCs relating to land verification, utilities, environmental clearances, heritage, public works and town planning, among other requirements.
Under the order, applications for NOCs from the Revenue Department concerning land title verification will have to be processed within 21 days. The concerned Additional Deputy Commissioner or Sub-Divisional Magistrate has been designated as the authority for the service, with the concerned Deputy Commissioner acting as the First Appellate Authority.
A similar 21-day deadline has been prescribed for NOCs involving Nazool land, with the concerned Assistant Commissioner, Nazool, designated to process applications. The First Appellate Authority will be the concerned Deputy Commissioner, while the Divisional Commissioner has been designated as the Second Appellate Authority.
For building-related NOCs from the Custodian Department, the concerned Deputy Custodian has been designated as the service authority, with the Custodian General and the concerned Custodian specified as appellate authorities.
The Forest Department will also have to process NOCs for land verification within 21 days. The concerned Divisional Forest Officer has been designated as the authority, followed by the concerned Conservator of Forests and Chief Conservator of Forests as appellate authorities.
The notification further brings NOCs from the Wildlife Department, Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, and the Pollution Control Board within the prescribed 21-day framework.
For wildlife-related clearances, the concerned Wildlife Warden has been designated as the authority, with the concerned Regional Wildlife Warden and Chief Wildlife Warden serving as appellate authorities.
For the Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department, the concerned Regional Director has been designated to process the NOC, with the Director, Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, and the concerned Chief Conservator of Forests/Head of Forest Force designated at subsequent appellate levels.
The Pollution Control Board will process the relevant NOC through its concerned District Officer within 21 days. The Regional Director and Member Secretary of the PCB have been designated as the First and Second Appellate Authorities respectively.
The order also covers NOCs involving the J&K Sainik Cooperative Housing Building Society, cooperative societies and the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation. Each of these services carries a stipulated processing period of 21 days.
For the J&K Sainik Cooperative Housing Building Society, the Administrator has been designated as the service authority, while the Additional Registrar and Deputy Registrar have been designated as appellate authorities.
For NOCs from cooperative societies, the Managing Director has been designated as the service authority, with the Additional Registrar and Registrar specified as appellate authorities.
In cases involving the Provincial Rehabilitation Organisation under the Relief Department, the concerned Rehabilitation Officer has been designated to process the NOC within 21 days, followed by the concerned Assistant Commissioner (Relief) and Deputy Commissioner as appellate authorities.
The Jal Shakti Department has also been brought under the notification for building permission-related NOCs. The concerned Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti, will process NOCs relating to irrigation and flood control, with the concerned Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer designated as appellate authorities.
For NOCs concerning water pipelines under the Public Health Engineering wing of the Jal Shakti Department, the concerned Executive Engineer will be responsible for processing applications within 21 days, while the concerned Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer will serve as appellate authorities.
The Power Development Department will similarly process building permission NOCs concerning power cables and related infrastructure within 21 days. The concerned Executive Engineer, Electrical PDD, has been designated as the service authority, with the Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer, Electrical PDD, as appellate authorities.
The notification also covers heritage-related NOCs. The concerned Special Director, Archives, Archaeology, Museums and Heritage has been designated for processing applications, with the Administrative Secretary, Culture Department, and Director, Archives, Archaeology and Museums, designated as appellate authorities.
For NOCs from the Public Works Department (R&B), the concerned Executive Engineer, Public Works (R&B), will process applications within 21 days. The concerned Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer, Public Works (R&B), have been designated as the First and Second Appellate Authorities.
Town-planning-related NOCs have also been assigned a 21-day service timeline. The concerned Assistant/Senior Town Planner will be the designated authority, while the Chief Town Planner and Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, will serve as appellate authorities.
For building permission NOCs from the Srinagar Development Authority, the Secretary, SDA, has been designated as the service authority, with the Vice-Chairman, SDA, and Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, as the appellate authorities.
The Katra Development Authority has also been included. The concerned Naib Tehsildar will process the NOC within 21 days, while the Chief Executive Officer, KDA, and Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, have been designated as the First and Second Appellate Authorities.
The notification has been issued under Sections 4 and 8 of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011, read with sub-rule (2) of Rule 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Rules, 2011.
The order is intended to formally define the time frame and accountability structure for these public services, including the officers responsible for processing applications and the authorities to whom applicants can appeal in case of delay or non-disposal within the stipulated period.
