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I was recently checking for the status of an application filed for a specific purpose when I came across the phrase “under issue” as in “the letter dated xxx is under issue”.
My question is, how can something be under issue? It can either be issued or not. Does it mean that the letter is yet to be issued?
This is not a common phrase; I think it's Indian English. I understand it as meaning “the letter is in the process of being issued”, i.e. the decision has been taken to write that letter (a reply to the application, presumably?), and either the content is being written, or it's waiting for someone's signature, or it's in the mail.
Google Books turns up very few occurrences (most of the time, when the two words “under issue” appear next to each other, it's in unrelated constructions like “under issue 42b”. Here are a few citations:
Necessary notification under FERA to give effect to the revised procedure is under issue. [India News]
An Army instruction to this effect is under issue. [Communication from the India Ministry of Defense]
Necessary amendment to Rule 18 (…) is under issue. [India Ministry of Finance memo]
