Srinagar, Nov 12 (KNO): Scores of residents here have accused the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) of delaying construction permissions without valid reasons, saying that files are piling up even after they have completed all formalities.
They said months have passed since they submitted the required documents.
Speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), residents said every time they approach the office, they are told that “the file is under process.”
One of the residents from Nishat area said the delay has left many people “frustrated and helpless.”
The locals further told KNO that the delay stems from internal issues, particularly linked to “one executive officer”, who is allegedly not clearing permissions on time.
“It is not a system-wide problem,” a local said on condition of anonymity. “It is mainly one officer whose non-clearance of files is holding up approvals for everyone else.”
Meanwhile, sources in the LCMA department said that a review meeting is expected next week to decide on the pending permissions. “If this continues, the higher authorities are likely to intervene,” he said.
Meanwhile, the residents urged the Lieutenant Governor administration and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take note, saying that such bureaucratic delays have stalled genuine residential projects and “opened doors for corruption and selective clearances.”
According to a review of official records by KNO, the LCMA’s Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) has met only twice in 2025 so far as on April 12 (137th) and August 2 (138th), while compared to more frequent meetings in previous years.
The minutes of the 138th meeting show that only a limited number of residential and commercial permission cases were discussed, with several files deferred due to “incomplete documentation” or “technical clarifications.”
Despite the backlog, the minutes reflect no major push to clear pending applications from early 2024 and late 2023—(KNO)