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| SMC ignores Minister's illegal commercial complex | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 28: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is under pressure from a Minister to drop his building from list "as per HC directions.
Sources said a top official in the SMC, enjoying blessings of this minister, has been asked that the said illegal building on the banks of Jhelum in Sheikh Bagh area of Lal Chowk be dropped from the fresh list, prepared for submission before the High Court.
The huge building with dozens of shops and offices is one of the biggest commercial complexes in Srinagar that have been constructed "illegally" around a decade ago by the family members of the Minister. The multistoried commercial complex, spanning over 7000 sq feet area, has no parking facility, whereas a few rooms in the upper floor are being used as his "party office".
The Minister, whose 'good relations' with SMC top bosses has reportedly told them that the name of his complex should not appear in the "tainted list".
The nexus, as per insiders, got exposed in the SMC office when the team of officers who were assigned the task of listing of commercial complexes, sought incorporation of the Sheikh Bagh complex.
"But the top officials gave us lame excuses that the complex cannot be listed as some of the rooms therein house the political office of the Minister Sahab," said an official in know of the matter, adding it triggered a controversy. "Finally we were asked to stay mum or face transfers to far off places," said the official pleading anonymity.
"We have been told not to look at the building as a commercial complex but as office of the political party," he said. The official said even though the RCC building was constructed merely a decade ago, the SMC wants to give a notion that the building has been existing for more than three decades. "This is mockery of the system that a new building is being projected as old," he added.
Over a dozen shopping complexes which do not have requisite parking in the basement have recently been sealed on the directions of the state High Court. On December 17, the court directed the SMC to furnish fresh details of all the commercial complexes in Srinagar.
Recently the SMC sealed two commercial complexes owned by high profile political families. Separatist-turned-minister Sajad Gani Lone's mall in Sanat Nagar and another one owned by senior Congress leader and former minister Taj Mohiuddin on Residency Road were sealed.
But their political workers have been complaining that the building at Shiekh Bagh was being spared.
Meanwhile the business bodies of Kashmir today appealed the High Court to personally look into the allegations. Talking to Early Times , representatives from various business bodies said "SMC must be punished for such shady deals, by virtue of which common businessman is being targeted whereas those influential are spared."
"When youth can be left jobless by sealing of buildings, why is the complex owned by the Minster being spared?" they questioned.
Despite repeated attempts the SMC Commissioner didn't respond to phone calls. When contacted another senior official refuted allegations of favoritism but said the Sheikh Bagh building owned by the family of the minister was yet to be incorporated in the list of buildings which brazenly violate norms. |
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