Illegal constructions

The major challenges faced by the State administration are illegal constructions in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir. These illegal constructions have increased manifold in Jammu region also.  The government claimed that they have already framed a policy to deal with unauthorized constructions; there is complete silence on illegal constructions by government departments over the years.

The challenges are huge as administration is neck deep in the allegations of corruption and the illegal constructions are still going on. At many places, the government land has been usurped by the land sharks and there is a complete understanding between the revenue officials and such gangs operating in both Jammu and Srinagar cities. The most callous is the construction going on inside the Dal Lake. The construction boom is going on right from Khanyar chowk upto Ashai Bagh Bridge on the both sides of the road inside the water-bodies of Nageen and Dal Lake.

There is another challenge that many government wings are going for illegal constructions and they are still going it despite the claims of the government that they have framed a policy against it.

The Government has notified the policy to deal with the menace of unauthorized constructions in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar and Katra. Under the policy, no violation of any sort that has come up after December 31, 2016 will be considered and all the basic facilities like drinking water and electricity will be denied to those violators, who are eligible for regularization but will fail to avail the one-time settlement within the stipulated time-frame.

The Expert Committees constituted by the Housing and Urban Development Department have categorized the violations into different types—built up area violation, set back/building line violations, ground coverage violations, land use violations, parking norms violations and constructions within the norms of the building byelaws/ Master Plan but for which no permission has been obtained.

All eyes are on Raj Bhawan and the new Advisors appointed by Governor to run the State Administration. There is an immediate need to stop the constructions at least in twin water-bodies of Dal and Nageen lakes. There is a need of a visit by the Advisor in-charge along with State Chief Secretary from Khanyar Chowk upto Hazratbal and see for they how they are being misled by their officials about the illegal constructions which is still going on.