Date :3/16/2026
Press release on 16th March 2026Chief Secretary inaugurates Unified Digital Portals of Housing & Urban Development Department J&K.
Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir today inaugurated two major digital platforms developed by the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) aimed at strengthening transparency, efficiency and ease of doing business in urban governance across the Union Territory.
The portals inaugurated include the Auto Scrutiny-based Building Permission & Change of Land Use (CLU) Portal integrated with GIS-based Master Plans using AutoDCR technology, and the Unified Web Portal of the Housing & Urban Development Department, J&K.
The Auto Scrutiny-based Building Permission & CLU Portal represents a landmark reform in the building permission process and is described as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country combining automation, spatial intelligence and regulatory compliance on a single digital platform. The system leverages AutoDCR technology to automatically scrutinize AutoCAD drawings submitted by applicants and instantly verify compliance with the J&K Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL), 2021, it’s amendments and Master Plan regulations.
The portal is directly integrated with the GIS-based Master Plans of Urban Local Bodies, enabling the system to automatically fetch land use details for every plot. This eliminates manual errors and ensures 100 percent zoning compliance right from the initial stage of application submission. The system provides automated scrutiny of building plans, algorithm-based randomization and auto-escalation of applications for ensuring compliance with regulatory timelines, and a single-window system for submission of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from multiple departments.
The platform also aims to empower technical professionals such as architects, draftsman and engineers by enabling them to participate in the approval ecosystem through digital workflows. The initiative is expected to significantly improve the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and enhance transparency in building permission processes across Urban Local Bodies.
During the event, the Chief Secretary also launched the Unified Web Portal of the Housing & Urban Development Department, developed under the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. The portal provides a single digital gateway for accessing information, services and digital platforms related to urban governance in Jammu & Kashmir.
The unified portal integrates multiple digital initiatives of the department including the UPYOG (Urban Platform for Delivery of Online Governance) based systems. Among the key initiatives being implemented is the NMAM-based Finance & Accounting Module for Urban Local Bodies, which introduces an accrual-based double entry accounting system for digital financial management of municipalities. The system enables real-time recording of municipal financial transactions, automated preparation of financial statements, online audit facilities, and monitoring of fund utilization through digital dashboards.
The portal also highlights the upcoming Mobile-Based Revenue Collection System for Urban Local Bodies, which will enable QR code-based digital payments for municipal services such as sanitation charges, water tanker charges, trade licenses and other municipal dues. The system will support payments through UPI, Bharat BillPay, digital wallets and other online payment gateways, ensuring transparent and cashless transactions. The platform will generate automated digital receipts, provide real-time revenue monitoring dashboards and integrate seamlessly with the Finance & Accounting system for automatic accounting entries.
HUDD Officials informed that the digital revenue collection system will help eliminate revenue pilferage, enhance transparency in municipal collections and improve the financial sustainability of Urban Local Bodies. It will also enable real-time monitoring of revenue collection and strengthen accountability of field-level collection mechanisms.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary emphasized that these initiatives represent a major step towards digital transformation of urban governance in Jammu & Kashmir, enabling faster service delivery, improved regulatory compliance and enhanced citizen engagement.
On the launch event along with Chief Secretary, Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Commissioner, JMC, Vice Chairman, JDA, Special Secretary, H&UDD, Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu, Chief Town Planner, Jammu, Chief Architect J&K, Chief Information Security Officer, H&UDD and others remain present.
The new digital platforms are expected to play a significant role in empowering citizens, enabling efficient governance and transforming urban development across the Union Territory, in line with the vision of “Empowering Citizens | Enabling Governance | Transforming Urban J&K.”