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| Master Plan violated with impunity in Srinagar | | SMC allows construction of 2700 illegal structures | | Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 10: Startling revelations about the presence of more than 2700 illegal structures in Srinagar, raised in violation of the Master Plan, are coming to fore, leaving the State authorities mum and shocked.
Top sources within the Government revealed that during the high level meeting convened to check the status of the Master Plan implementation in Srinagar, there were atleast 2700 illegal structures found which were constructed against the guidelines. It was also found that the previous Governments didn't take any action and rather turned blind eye towards such gross violation of the rules and guidelines.
A committee was constituted by the Government five years ago to check the ground for the master plan implementations. As the committee has complied its report, it is being revealed that there are 1500 structures in Srinagar that have been raised without the proper permission and 1200 constructions have been witnessed which undermine the guidelines. "The permission was sought for the residential building and at present there is a commercial complex in place. Such violations have been witnessed at large," said an official.
It was informed that earlier as well the report was prepared by the high level committee comprising of Additional Commissioner Kashmir, Vice Chairman Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), DC Srinagar, Chief Engineer Roads and Buildings and Special Secretary Housing and Urban Development. The report due to the unknown reasons was shelved and no follow-up action was taken. "This committee was framed under the order number 159-HUD of 2009 dated November 24, 2009. The committee identified 2500 structures which had come up in violation of master plan norms. This report stands submitted before the Government, House committee and the High Court," sources said, adding that this report has disclosed many surprising facts. "This report says that almost all automobile showrooms in city especially set up on Nowgam bypass road have come up in gross violation of master plan norms. Owner of an automobile showroom in this area had got permission for establishing a poultry farm. Instead of establishing a poultry farm, he raised an automobile showroom and a service station using the same permission," sources said.
Pertinently, the Srinagar Master Plan is applicable to a total of 417 square kilometres and out of this 160 square kilometres are looked after by Srinagar Development Authority (SDA). Rest of the square kilometres comes under the jurisdiction of SMC. Sources said that both the executing and implementing agencies of the Master Plan had issued notices to 1100 violators but to no avail. Sources said there was no follow-up action after issuing these notices to the violators due to political interference mainly from the city based politicians presently ruling the State. "Instead of taking a strong action against the violators of Master Plan in view of the high level committee report, the Government facilitated more violations since then," reports informed.
The structures sealed by the SMC are a tip of the iceberg, said sources, adding that there is more than what meets the eye as far as the violation of master plan in Srinagar is concerned. "The two executing agencies are virtually helpless to implement the Master Plan on the ground as the higher ups influence these agencies whenever they try to act tough against the big guns," official sources added. Nevertheless, the intervention from the High Court has raised some hopes among people who really suffer due to illegal constructions and mushrooming encroachments in and around the city. In two significant orders passed by the High Court in two separate Public Interest Litigations (PIL), the then Government was asked to submit a detailed list of structures that have come up in violation of the Master Plan as also take steps to decongest Srinagar by removing encroachments and formulating a futuristic plan of action for city's planned development. The petitioners of both the PILs filed in the High Court have sought directions to the State Government to remove hawkers from the core area of Srinagar city besides demolition orders for constructions made illegally without permission and in violation of the Master Plan in Srinagar. |
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