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| SMC allows constructions for weekly hafta of Rs 5 lakh | | Amid Guv rule, 100 new structures come up illegally | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 20: Amid the ongoing political uncertainty over formation of the new Government, the administration has closed eyes over illegal construction of malls and shops in the summer capital. It has been learnt that the enforcement squads have allegedly fixed a flat rate of Rs five lakh per week for any illegal construction.
Official sources said since January 9 when the State came under Governor's rule, over one hundred commercial buildings have illegally come up on the main roads. The lawlessness is so visible that complaints of illegal constructions have even come up before the intelligence agencies, the sources added.
At Radio Colony Raj Bagh, apart from a building on the main road, over three dozen shops have been constructed illegally while a commercial complex has encroached upon Ihkraj Pora main road.
In the adjacent Jawahar Nagar, near DAV School a commercial complex has encroached upon the main road. In old Kurso Raj Bagh, 10 illegal buildings are coming up.
Near Lal Chowk at Goni Khan, which is barely 10 feet away from Jhelum, a new shopping complex is coming up illegally in violation of High Court orders.
The worst is visible near the offices of Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon and DC Srinagar Farooq Ahmed Lone at Tanki Pora. Barely 100 meters away from their offices, work on construction of three major shopping malls on the main road, is going on in full swing. Sources said even though the complaint was brought to the notice of the duo, none of them acted.
In Firdousabad, Batamaloo, two dozen shops have been illegally constructed on the main road while six shops have been constructed near the Police Control Room Batamaloo.
At the adjacent bus stand, one dozen shops have been constructed illegally while 20 shops have been constructed on the Bemina main road on the upper floor of illegal buildings.
"At Nowgam bye-pass chowk, work has geared pace on the construction of six illegal shopping malls being constructed in 100 % violation of building permission while the same is true for Sanatnagar bye-pass," admitted a senior official, pleading anonymity.
The illegal constructions are being allowed even on the Infra Gandhi Airport Road. At a time when the High Court has banned construction of shopping complexes without parking lot, sources said the authorities have allowed construction of a mall without parking near Hyder Pora shrine. Sources said there was total violation of the building permission in the construction.
In Munawarabad and Barbar Shah areas, 10 illegal buildings are under construction on the main road. The blame is being put on the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Srinagar Development Authority and the Roads and Building Department.
A man from Raj Bagh said SMC enforcement squad asked him to pay Rs five lakh on weekly basis and "do as much illegal construction as you can till the political uncertainty is over". "There is no limit to the level of construction. All they demand is Rs five lakh per week during Governor’s rule to construct anything," the businessman told Early Times.
Sources said SMC and SDA who were supposed to keep check on construction works in Srinagar have found the "political uncertainty" an opportunity to make fortunes. "They are only after money and thus have fixed flat rate of Rs five lakh per week as bribe," said a source.
Insiders said even though the police is getting intelligence inputs of large scale illegal constructions taking place in Srinagar, it too has been silent and didn't convey it to the Raj Bhawan.
But apart from the enforcement agencies, the role of Roads and Buildings Department is dubious. Sources said the Chief Engineer R&B SK Razdan was duty bound to file report over construction of illegal constructions along the main roads. "R&B Chief Engineer has magisterial powers to ensure that the Ribbon Development Act is not violated and has to keep the Government informed about such violations so that they are demolished forthwith. But in case of Srinagar he is totally silent," the sources said.
A senior official of the R&B said a former Minister has pressurized the department not to file any complaints in this regard before the Raj Bhawan or other quarters. "You don't worry, I will be back to power within days, just bear with me till then," the Minister, as per the insiders, recently told the R&B engineers. "The senior engineers convened s secret meeting and resolved that it was better to be silent," the sources said.
When contacted a senior official of the R&B said they were helpless to point to massive violations being allowed along main roads due to political pressure.
Shockingly, on the other hand, SMC says check on illegal constructions was not its priority area. "My priority is sanitation not illegal constructions," SMC Commissioner Showkat Ahmed Zargar is on record to have recently told reporters. Zargar however denies allegations of corruption.
Officials said the "The biggest irony with the SMC is that despite large scale violations of the Master Plan the concerned enforcement officials are never made accountable." "SMC has become a den of corruption," the official said.
Meanwhile a legal cell of lawyers and other concerned has decided to apprize the Governor NN Vohra about the large scale illegal constructions being undertaken in Srinagar even as it has decided to expose the names of "officials and former Ministers involved in the nexus."
"We want a team of officials as deputed by the Governor to go for thorough inspection of illegal constructions because in the garb of building permission for shed, malls are being constructed," the lawyer told Early Times. |
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