Leh: Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena has approved an interim land-use framework allowing the use of land measuring up to two kanals within municipal limits for residential, commercial, industrial or mixed-use purposes without prior approval from any authority.
According to an official statement, the interim framework has been introduced to address the absence of notified Master Plans and Zonal Development Plans in Ladakh, which has led to uncertainty in granting building permissions and regulating land use in municipal areas.
The order states that development proposals and building permission applications in municipal areas will not be restricted solely because Master Plans or Zonal Development Plans have not yet been notified.
However, certain activities will continue to require prior approval even on land up to two kanals. These include Red, Orange and, in some cases, Green category industries, slaughterhouses, commercial animal rearing, stone quarries and similar activities, storage of inflammable materials, and burial grounds or crematoria, depending on the land-use category.
The statement said there are currently no Urban Development Authorities in Ladakh, a statutory requirement for preparing and notifying Master Plans and Zonal Development Plans. In the meantime, urban development and building permissions are being regulated under the Ladakh Building Bye-laws, 2025.
The administration said the interim framework would remain in force until the Master Plans, Zonal Development Plans and other statutory planning regulations are notified. Municipal Committees have been directed to issue operational guidelines for regulating land use and building construction in accordance with the new framework.