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| Srinagar Master Plan revamp to 'please' politicians, businessmen | | Residential colonies in summer capital being commercialized, flood basins to be filled | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 18: Even as the revamped Master Plan for Srinagar (2000-21) is all set to be placed in public domain in the coming days, the draft has been largely "influenced by some leading businessmen and politicians from the ruling parties."
Official sources said for the past over a month, some of the leading businessmen from Srinagar having stakes in the Master Plan, and some ministers and other politicians, were in constant touch with the team from the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) which is preparing the blueprint.
Sources said some of the officials including those from the SDA and Tourism department almost played role of middlemen for the drafting of the Master Plan in a way that it suits the "interests of a lobby of their masters."
Sources said the Master Plan has proposed conversion of several residential colonies in Srinagar into commercial areas as either the influential lobby has constructed malls in such areas or wants to start commercial activities like hotels therein.
Sources said at least three businessmen who played a crucial role in persuading the Hurriyat to "soften the ongoing agitation" were influencing the team preparing the Master Plan through some officials in the Tourism department.
Sources said the business groups having stakes mainly in east and south City areas have sought conversion of land norms to meet their "personal interests."
A source privy to the plan said in a bid to please some politicians having vote bank politics at stake, the Master Plan draft outright ignores the devastation caused by September 2014 floods and has given a go ahead for the conversion of wetlands and flood basins into residential colonies, or for use as commercial areas through land filling. "There's so much intervention in the framing of the Master Plan that even micro plans are being altered at every point only to meet the personal requirements of the influential lobby," the sources said.
Citing example sources said the lobby of influential businessmen having land holdings in forest areas like Nishat, are getting entire virgin stretch of highland being thrown open for constructions.
"The main interference in Srinagar is that almost every residential colony is being commercialized to alarming extents. It will be really difficult for the people to live in this city, if this Master plan is approved as it is being conceived," the sources said.
They said the major "fudging" in the Mater Plan has taken place mostly in the last around two months of unrest in Kashmir. "Instead of technical expertise, influence remained the inspiration for the draft proposal," said a senior official in the SDA asking not to be identified.
But how come the Master Plan revamp has become so vulnerable to influences and who all are preparing it and how? (To be concluded) |
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