In a major step towards digital transformation of urban governance in Jammu & Kashmir, the Chief Secretary today inaugurated two key digital platforms developed by the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) aimed at enhancing transparency, efficiency and ease of doing business across Urban Local Bodies in the Union Territory.
The platforms launched include the Auto Scrutiny-based Building Permission and 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 launch event was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department; Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation; Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority; Special Secretary, H&UDD; Director, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu; Chief Town Planner, Jammu; Chief Architect, J&K; Chief Information Security Officer, H&UDD, and other senior officers.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary emphasized that these initiatives mark an important milestone in the digital transformation of urban governance in Jammu & Kashmir, enabling faster service delivery, improved regulatory compliance and greater citizen engagement.
He observed that the integration of automation, GIS technology and digital financial systems would help build a more efficient, transparent and citizen-centric urban administration across the Union Territory. The Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Mandeep Kaur termed the Auto Scrutiny-based Building Permission and CLU Portal a landmark reform in the building approval process.
She described it as a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country which brings together automation, spatial intelligence and regulatory compliance on a single digital interface. She added that the system leverages Auto-DCR technology to automatically scrutinize Auto-CAD drawings submitted by applicants and instantly verify compliance with the provisions of the J&K Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL), 2021, including its amendments and Master Plan regulations.
Integrated directly with the GIS-based Master Plans of Urban Local Bodies, the portal automatically fetches land-use details of every plot, thereby eliminating manual errors and ensuring complete zoning compliance from the initial stage of application submission, she added.
The digital platform also provides automated scrutiny of building plans, algorithm-based randomization and auto-escalation of applications to ensure adherence to regulatory timelines. In addition, it functions as a single-window system for submission and processing of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from multiple departments, significantly reducing delays and procedural bottlenecks.
The portal is also designed to empower technical professionals including architects, draftsmen and engineers by enabling their participation in the approval ecosystem through structured digital workflows. The initiative is expected to significantly improve the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the urban sector while enhancing transparency and accountabilityin building permission processes across the Union Territory.
On the occasion, 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 unified portal serves as a single digital gateway for accessing information, services and digital platforms related to urban governance in Jammu & Kashmir. It integrates multiple digital initiatives of the department, including systems developed under the UPYOG (Urban Platform for Delivery of Online Governance) framework.
Among the major initiatives highlighted on the portal is the NMAM-based Finance and Accounting Module for Urban Local Bodies, which introduces an accrual-based double-entry accounting system for 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 showcases the upcoming Mobile-Based Revenue Collection System for Urban Local Bodies, which will facilitate QR code-based digital payments for various municipal services such as sanitation charges, water tanker services, trade licenses and other municipal dues.
The system will support payments through UPI, Bharat BillPay, digital wallets and other online payment gateways, ensuring fully transparent and cashless transactions. It will also generate automated digital receipts, enable real-time revenue monitoring through dashboards and integrate seamlessly with the Finance and Accounting Module for automatic accounting entries.
Officials of the Housing & Urban Development Department informed that the digital revenue collection system will help eliminate revenue leakages, enhance transparency in municipal collections and significantly improve the financial sustainability of Urban Local Bodies.
It will also facilitate real-time monitoring of revenue streams and strengthen accountability in field-level collection mechanisms. The newly launched digital platforms are expected to play a pivotal role in empowering citizens, streamlining regulatory processes and accelerating urban development across the Union Territory, in line with the vision of “Empowering Citizens, Enabling Governance, Transforming Urban Life across J&K.”