SMC’s Building Permission Process Turns Into Ordeal for Srinagar Residents; Delays Raise Questions Over Transparency, Revenue Loss
Srinagar, Nov 7, KNT: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s building permission process has allegedly turned into an exhausting exercise for people seeking approval for commercial and residential constructions, with applicants accusing the civic body of resorting to repeated delays despite completion of the required formalities.
Several applicants told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that they were being made to visit SMC offices repeatedly, only to be told that their permissions would be issued “today or tomorrow”. Despite fulfilling the prescribed requirements, they alleged, their files continue to remain pending, leaving them uncertain about when the necessary approvals will be granted.
The alleged delay has also raised concerns about transparency in the functioning of the civic body, with insiders claiming that the slow pace of processing applications is creating conditions in which corruption can flourish.
According to people familiar with the functioning of the corporation, SMC is currently processing and granting only three to four building permissions in a month, a pace they described as unusually slow for a city where demand for residential and commercial construction approvals remains substantial.
The delay, they said, is not only causing inconvenience to applicants but is also undermining the corporation’s own revenue-generation potential.
Insiders claimed that SMC collects approximately Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for permissions involving commercial structures, while the charges for residential building permissions are around Rs 25,000. If applications are processed in a timely and transparent manner, they argued, the corporation could generate substantial revenue instead of allowing files to remain pending for weeks or months.
The situation, according to these insiders, is also creating an environment vulnerable to alleged irregularities. Applicants who fail to secure permissions despite completing formalities may approach enforcement officials or ward officers in an attempt to find ways around the formal approval process. They alleged that such circumstances create opportunities for illegal arrangements and undermine the purpose of a regulated building permission system.
The issue has assumed added significance following a recent meeting chaired by the newly appointed SMC Commissioner, who reportedly pulled up Enforcement and Ward Officers over their alleged failure to curb illegal constructions.
However, insiders questioned whether the corporation was examining its own administrative shortcomings with equal seriousness. They argued that while ward officers are being held accountable for failing to prevent unauthorized construction, little attention appears to be paid to the delays that allegedly push applicants into prolonged uncertainty over legitimate building permissions.
“People cannot be expected to wait indefinitely after completing all the formalities. When the system fails to deliver permissions on time, the administration must also examine what is forcing applicants to look for alternatives,” insiders said.
Another concern is the growing number of applicants who reportedly approach courts seeking deemed building permission after failing to obtain timely decisions from the corporation. Such cases, insiders said, represent another potential loss of revenue for SMC, apart from increasing litigation and administrative complications.
They recalled that in 2019, building permissions were reportedly granted more freely and without prolonged delays, enabling the corporation to generate revenue running into crores of rupees. That pace, they said, has since slowed considerably, turning what should be a routine administrative process into a major headache for residents and business owners.
The allegations raise a larger question about the corporation’s priorities: whether its enforcement machinery and revenue collection efforts are being matched by an equally efficient system for granting lawful construction approvals.
For people seeking to build homes and entrepreneurs planning commercial establishments, timely permission is not merely an administrative convenience but a legal necessity. Keeping applications pending without clear timelines, applicants said, leaves them vulnerable to uncertainty while unauthorized constructions continue to pose a challenge for the city.
“A transparent, time-bound permission mechanism, with clear accountability for officials handling applications, is essential if the corporation wants to curb illegal construction, prevent alleged corruption and protect its own revenue interests,” insiders said. [KNT]
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