THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988

CONTROL OF BUILDING
OPERATIONS ACT, 1988

(Act No. XV of 1988)



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 361

Section.

1. Short title, extent and commencement.

2. Definitions.

3. Constitution of the Authority.

4. Control of development and building Operation.

5. Application for Permission.

6. Power of entry on building or land.

7. Order of demolition of buildings in certain areas.

8. Power to seal unauthorised construction.

9.  Penalties.

10. Offence to be cognizable.

11. Lapse of sanction after three year.

12. Powers to stop building operations and removal of persons thereof.

13. Appeals.

14. Bar of Jurisdiction.

15. Finality of orders

16. Delegation.

17. Protection of action taken in good faith.

THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT,
1988

(Act No. XV of 1988)

CONTENTS

Preamble



362 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

18. Effect of provisions of the Act inconsistent with other laws.

19. Power to make regulations.

20. Repeal and saving.

–––––––

Section



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 363

* Now Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
1. Substituted for “whole of the State of Jammu and Kashmir” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.
2. Enforced vide SRO-164 dated 28th May, 1998.
3. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.

THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR CONTROL OF BUILDING
OPERATIONS ACT, 1988

(Act No. XV of 1988)

[Received the assent of the Governor on 31st August, 1988 and published
in the Government Gazette dated 1st September, 1988].

An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to control of building
operations in the *State.

Be it enacted by the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature in the Thirty-
ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows :––

1. Short title, extent and commencement.––This Act may be called the
Jammu and Kashmir Control of Building Operations Act, 1988.

(2) It extends to the 1[whole of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir].

2[(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by
notification in the 3[Official Gazette] appoint].

2. Definitions.––In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,––

(1) “Authority” means the Building Operations Controlling Authority
constituted under section 3 of this Act ;

(2) “boat” includes any vessel used or capable of being used on water
as a means of conveyance or habitation or for commercial pur-
poses and shall include also steam and motor launches ;

(3) “building” means any shop, house, hut, out-house, shed, super-
structure, boat, house-boat and stable whether used for the purpose
of human habitation or otherwise and whether of masonry, bricks,
wood, mud, thatch, metal or any other material whatever and in-
cludes a wall and a well ;

(4) “building line” means a line which is on either of the street alignment
and to which the main external wall  of a building abutting a street



364 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

may lawfully extend and  beyond which no portion of the building
shall extend as prescribed in the building bye-laws ;

(5) “building operation” includes re-building operations, structural
alterations of or additions to buildings and other operations, normally
undertaken in connection with the construction of building ;

(6) “Chief Executive Officer” means Chief Executive Officer appointed
under the provisions of this Act and includes an officer empowered
under this Act, to exercise, perform or discharge any of the powers,
duties or functions of Chief Executive Officer ;

(7) “development” with grammatical variations means the carrying out
of building, engineering, quarrying or extraction of manufacture of
building materials or other operations in, on, over or under the
land, or erecting or re-erecting of any building on land or over
water making any physical change in or on land and includes re-
development ;

(8) “engineering operation” includes the formation or laying out of
means of access to a road or the laying out of main water supply or
laying out of a drain or electric supply ;

(9) “erect or re-erect” any building includes––

(a) any material alteration or enlargement of any building ;

(b) mooring or installing of any boat or house-boat in the river or
lake falling within the jurisdiction of any Authority ;

(c) the conversion by structural alteration into a place for human
habitation of any building not originally constructed for human
habitation ;

(d) the conversion into more than one place for human habita-
tion of a building originally constructed as one such place ;

(e) the conversion of two or more places of human habitation
into  a greater number of such places ;

(f) such alteration of a building as affects an alteration in its
drainage or sanitary arrangements or affects its stability ;



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 365

1. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.
2. Remaning Para omitted by Act No. VI of 1997, s. 2.

(g) the addition of any room, building, out-house or other struc-
ture to any building ;

(h) the construction of a wall adjoining any street or land not
belonging  to the owner of the wall, of a door opening on to
such stree ; and

(i) reconstruction of a building or a portion thereof, by means
of props, commonly known as “PAND-PAND” in Kashmir
Valley ;

(10) “gazette” means the 1[Official Gazette] published under the
authority of the Jammu and Kashmir Government ;

(11) “land” shall include land which is built upon or covered with
water ;

(12) “local area” means any area declared to be a local area under sub-
section (1)  of section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development
Act, 1970, 2[x x x x x] ;

(13) “Minister” means the Minister Incharge, Housing and Urban
Development Department or any other Minister notified by the
Government for purposes of this Act ;

(14) “occupier” means any person who for the time being pays or is
liable to pay to the owner the rent or any portion of the rent and
includes an owner living in or otherwise using his own land or
building and also a rent free tenant ;

(15) “owner” when used in reference to any land or building, includes
the person for the time being receiving the rent of the land or
building or of any part of the land or building whether on his own
account or as agent or trustee for any person or society or/for any
religious or charitable purpose, or as receiver who would so receive
such rent after the land, building or part thereof, as the case may
be, is let to a tenant ;

(16) “plan” means master plan and includes zonal plan prepared under
the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970 ; and



366 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

1. Substituted by Act No. VI of 1997, s. 3.
2. Substituted for “in the Municipal Area” by S.O. 3808 (E) dated 26.10.2020.
3. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.

(17) “regulation” means a regulation made under this Act, by the
Authority constituted under section 3.

3. Constitution of  the Authority. ––(1) With the commencement of this
Act, the authorities for the propose of this Act in any Local Area, Municipal
Area, Town Area, Notified Area or Area notified under the Jammu and Kashmir
State Town Planning Act, 1963 shall be as under :––

(2) The Authority in respect of––

1[(a) ‘Municipal Area’ notified under the J&K Municipal Act, Samvat
2008 ;

(b) ‘Local Area’ not included 2[in the Municipal Area excluding any
strategic area notified under the Jammu and Kashmir Development
Act, 1970] ;

(c) ‘Town Area’ notified under the J&K Town Area Act, Samvat 2011 ;

(d) ‘Notified Area’ specified under section 283 of the Jammu and
Kashmir Municipal Act, Samvat 2008 ;

(e) Area notified under the Jammu and Kashmir Town Planning Act,
1963 which is not a ‘Local Area’, ‘Town Area’ or ‘Notified Area’ ;

shall be appointed by the Government from time to time by notifying in the
3{Official Gazette}].

4. Control of development and building operation.–– No person shall
undertake or carry out the development of any site in any Municipal Area,
Local Area, Town Area, Notified Area or Area notified under the Jammu and
Kashmir State Town Planning Act, 1963, or erect or re-erect any building or
make or extend any excavation or lay out any means of access to a road in such
area except with the previous permission of the Authority concerned in writing.

5. Application for permission. ––(1) Every person desiring to obtain the
permission, referred to in section 4 shall make an application in writing to the
Authority or through any agency authorised, in such form and containing
such information as may be prescribed by regulations made under this Act.

(2) The Authority shall, within a period of 7 days of the receipt of
application under sub-section (1) decline to accept a plan as sufficient for



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 367

purposes of granting sanction under this Act if it does not bear the signature
and seal of  a Registered Architect or a Draftsman registered with the Authority.

(3) On receipt of such application the Authority, after making such en-
quiry as it considers necessary, keeping in view the area and the laws, rules
and regulations applicable therein, shall by an order in writing, either grant the
permission, subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the order
or refuse to grant such permission, under the State Town Planning Act, 1963 or
any Master Plan.

(4) Where the permission is refused, the grounds of such refusal shall be
communicated to the applicant in writing within a period of 30 days.

6. Power of entry on building or land.–– The Authority may authorise
any person to enter into or upon any site or building with or without assistants
or workmen for the purpose of :––

(a) making any enquiry, inspection, measurement  or survey or taking
levels or such site of building or both ;

(b) examining works under construction or ascertaining the course of
sewers or drains ;

(c) ascertaining whether any site is being or has been developed or
any building is being or has been erected without the permission
referred to in section 4 or in contravention of any condition subject
to which such permission has been granted :

Provided that :––

(i) no entry shall be made except between the hours of sun-rise and
sun-set and without giving not less than twenty-four hours written
notice to the occupier, or if there is no occupier to the owner of the
building or land ;

(ii) sufficient opportunity shall in every instance be given to enable
women, if any, to withdraw from such land or building.

7. Order of demolition of building in certain areas. ––(1) Where the
erection or re-erection of any building has been commenced or is being carried
on or has been completed without the permission referred to  in section 4 or in
contravention of any condition subject to which any permission has been
granted, the Authority shall issue a notice in writing calling upon the person to



368 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

show cause within a period of 48 hours, why the building should not be altered
or demolished as may be deemed necessary to remove the contravention.

(2) The Authority shall cause the notice to be affixed on the outer door of
some conspicuous part of the building whereupon the notice shall be deemed
to have been duly served upon the owner or the occupier of the building.

(3) If the person to whom the notice has been given refuses or fails to
show cause within a period specified under sub-section (1) or if after hearing
that person, the Authority is satisfied that the erection or re-erection of the
building is in contravention of the provisions of this section, the Authority
shall by order direct the person to demolish, alter or pull down the building or
part thereof so far as is necessary to remove the contravention within a period
not exceeding five days as may be specified in the order and if the person fails
to comply with the direction, the Authority may itself cause the erection or re-
erection to be demolished after the expiry of the said period and may for that
purpose use such Police Force as may be necessary which shall be made
available to him by the Police Department on requisition.

(4) All expenses incurred for such demolition shall be recoverable from
the owner and/or the occupier in the same manner as arrears of land revenue.

8. Power to seal unauthorised construction. ––(1) It shall be lawful for
the Authority concerned, at any time, before or after making an order of
demolition under section 7 to make an order directing the sealing of such
erection, re-erection or work or of premises in which such erection, re-erection
or work is being carried on or has been completed for the purpose of carrying
out the provisions of this Act, or for preventing any dispute as to the nature
and extent of such erection or work.

(2) Where any erection, re-erection or work or any premises in which any
erection, re-erection or work is being carried out, has or, have been sealed, the
Authority concerned may for the purpose of demolishing such  erection or
work in accordance with the provisions of this Act, order such seal to be
removed.

(3) No person shall remove such seal except,––

(a) under an order made by the Authority concerned under sub-section
(2) ; or

(b) under an order made in an appeal under this Act.



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 369

1. Inserted by Act No. VI of 1997, s. 4.

9. Penalties. ––(1) Any person who undertakes or carries out the
development of any site or erects or re-erects any building or makes or extends
any excavation or lays out any means of access to a road without the permission
referred to in section 4 or in contravention of any condition subject to which
such permission has been granted 1[or obstracts the Authority under section
8] shall be punishable with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees and
in the case of continuing offence, with a further fine which may extend to five
hundred rupees for every day during which such offence continues after
conviction for the first commission of the offence.

(2) Any person who obstructs the entry of a person authorised under
section 6 to enter into or upon any building or land or molests such person
after such entry shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand
rupees.

(3) If the person committing an offence under this Act, is a company,
every person who at the time the offence was committed, was in charge of, and
was responsible to, the company for the conduct of the business of the
company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence
and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly :

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any
such person liable to any punishment provided in this Act, if he proves that
the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due
diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3) where an
offence under this Act, has been committed by a company and it is proved that
the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is
attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director or manager, secretary or
other officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be
liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation:––For the purpose of this section––

(a) “company” means a body corporate and includes a firm or other
association of individuals ;

(b) “director” in relation to a firm means a partner in the firm.



370 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

1. Substituted for “Code of Criminal Procedure, Samvat 1989” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.
2. Substituted for “section 57 of the Code” ibid.

10. Offence to be cognizable.–– The 1[Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
(2 of 1974) shall apply to an offence punishable under section 9 as if it were a
cognizable offence––

(i) for the purpose of investigation of such offences ; and

(ii) for the purpose of all matters other than––

(a) matters referred to in 2[section 42 of the Code] ; and

(b) arrest of a person except on the complaint of, or upon
information received from the Authority concerned :

Provided that no offence of the contravention of any condition subject
to which sanction was accorded for the erection or re-erection of any building
shall be cognizable, if such contravention relates any deviation from any plan
of such erection or re-erection sanctioned by the Authority concerned.

11. Lapse of sanction after three years. ––(1) Every sanction for the
erection or re-erection of any building issued by the Authority shall remain in
force for three years from the date of such sanction, but such lapse shall not
bar for any subsequent application for fresh sanction under the foregoing
provisions of this Act :

Provided the Minister shall always have power to revoke any sanction
for erection or re-erection of any building at any time before the commence-
ment of erection or re-erection of any building.

(2) Every order made by the Minister concerned under this section shall
be final and shall not be called in question in any original suit, application or
proceeding and no injunction shall be granted by any court in respect of any
action under this Act.

(3) The provisions of this section shall have effect notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Act or in any other law for the time
being in force.

12. Powers to stop building operation and removal of persons thereof.––
(1) Where any building operation has been commenced or is being carried on
in contravention of the provisions of this Act or any rule, or regulation laws
made thereunder, or without the permission referred to in section 4 but such



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 371

1. Substituted by Act No. VI of 1997, s. 5, w.e.f. 28-05-1998.
2. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.

erection has not been completed, the Authority may by a written notice require
that such building operations be discontinued on and from the date of the
service of the notice.

(2) Where such building operations are not discontinued, the Authority
may direct all persons engaged in any capacity in the work of erecting or re-
erecting building in question or part thereof to remove themselves and shall
take such measures as will prevent such persons from again entering into or
remaining will prevent such persons from again entering into or remaining
upon such building or part thereof except with a proper permission which may
be issued by the Authority.

(3) Where such building operations are not discontinued even after
issuance of directions under sub-section (2) the Authority may require any
Police Officer to remove the persons by whom the erection of the building has
been commenced and all his assistants and workmen from the place of the
building, within such time as may be specified in the requisition and, such
Police Officer shall comply with requisition accordingly.

(4) No person shall be entitled to any compensation for any damage,
which he may sustain  in consequence of the discontinuance of the erection or
re-erection of any building.

(5) All expenditure incurred in the enforcement of the provisions of this
section shall be recoverable from the person concerned.

Explanation:— For the purpose of this section, the building operation shall
include erection or re-erection of any building or any
development or the engineering operation in any area.

13. Appeals. —(1) An appeal against the order of an Authority made
under 1[section 5 or] section 7 shall lie to such person as the Government may
by notification in the 2[Official Gazette], appoint in this behalf (hereinafter
called ‘the Appellate Officer’) within seven days after the date of the aforesaid
order of the Authority. The memorandum of appeal need not be accompanied
by copy of order appealed from.

(2) Where any appeal is preferred from an order of an Authority, the
appellate officer shall not stay the enforcement of that order unless the
Authority concerned is given an opportunity of being heard :



372 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

1. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.

Provided that where the erection or re-erection of any building was not
completed on the day on which an order was made under section 7 for the
demolition of such building the appellate officer shall not make any order for
the stay of enforcement of such order unless such security, as may be sufficient
in the opinion of the appellate officer, has been given by the appellant for not
proceeding with such construction, erection or work pending the disposal of
appeal.

(3) Every appeal under this section shall be disposed of by the appellate
officer as expeditiously as possible.

(4) The costs of any appeal under this section shall be in the discretion
of the appellate officer.

14. Bar of Jurisdiction.—No court shall have jurisdiction to––

(a) make any interim order whether by way of injunction or stay or in
any other manner against the order of the Authority concerned or
the appellate officer ;

(b) entertain any suit or proceeding in respect of demolition of any
building.

15. Finality of orders.–– Save as otherwise provided in this Act every
order made by an Authority or the appellate officer shall be final and shall not
be called in question in any suit, application or execution proceeding.

16. Delegation.–– The Authority may, by notification  in the 1[Official
Gazette], direct that any power exerciseable by it under this Act except the
power to make regulations, may also be exercised in such cases and subject to
such condition, if any, as may be specified in the notification, by such officer
or local authority as may be mentioned therein.

17. Protection of action taken in good faith.–– No suit, prosecution or
other legal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything which is in
good faith done or intended to be done under this Act or the regulations made
thereunder.

18. Effect of provisions of the Act inconsistent with other laws.–– The
provisions of this Act shall apply to the erection or re-erection of buildings
alongside public roads regulated under the Prevention of Ribbon Development
Act, Samvat 2007.



CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS ACT, 1988 373

1. Substituted for “Government Gazette” by S.O. 1229 (E) dated 31.03.2020.

19. Power to make regulations. ––(1) The Authority, with the previous
approval of the Government, may, by notification in the 1[Official Gazette],
make regulations to carry out the purposes of this Act :

Provided that the Government may make the first regulations under this
section and any regulation so made may be altered or rescinded by the
Authority concerned in exercise of the powers conferred by this section.

(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing
power, such regulations may provide for all or any of the following matters,
namely :––

(a) the summoning and holding of meeting of the Authority, the time
and place where such meetings are to be held, the procedure to be
followed by the Authority and the number of members necessary
to form a quorum ;

(b) the manner of authentication of orders and other instruments of
the Authority ;

(c) the form in which an application under sub-section (1) of section
5 shall be made and the information to be furnished in such
application ;

(d) the regulation of the laying out of means of access to road ;

(e) the principles under which applications for permission under this
Act may be granted ;

(f) the officers or local authorities to whom powers may be delegated
under section 16 ;

(g) any other matter which has to be, or may be, prescribed.

20. Repeal and Saving.–– Save as otherwise provided in section 18, if
immediately before the commencement of this Act there is in force any provision
of law corresponding to the provisions of the Act that provision of law shall
stand repealed on the said date :

Provided that the repeal shall not affect––



374 CONTROL OF BUILDING OPERATIONS  ACT, 1988

(a) the previous operation of any provision of law so repealed or
anything duly done or suffered thereunder ; or

(b) any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or
incurred under any provision of law so repealed ; or

(c) any penalty, forfeiture or punishment incurred in respect of any
offence committed against any provision of law so repealed ; or

(d) any investigation, legal proceeding or remedy in respect of any
such right, privilege, obligation, penalty, forfeiture or punishment
as aforesaid ;

and any such investigation, legal proceeding or remedy may be instituted,
continued, or enforced and any such penalty, forfeiture or punishment may be
imposed, as if this Act had not been passed :

Provided further that, subject to the preceding proviso, anything done
or any action taken (including any order made, notice issued or permission
granted) under any provision of the aforesaid laws shall be deemed to have
been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act and shall
continue to be in force accordingly unless and until superseded by anything
done or any action taken under this Act.

_______