Eyewash action and unfair patronage of enforcement staff results in construction of basement at commercial shop site-1 ,Sector-3,Ward-50 Channi Himmat Housing Board Zonal Planned colony despite violations duly published in print media and circulated on social networking sites

JMC remained unmoved even when excessive digging was strongly resented by locals as the owner covered hundred percent area and even covered nearby flowing waste water Nallah by putting slab on Nallah to facilitate two way entry both from front side and back side being a corner plot having approaching road both towards front and back side
After publishing story , the construction work remained stopped for few days, but owner taking into confidence enforcement staff on 8-6-2024 started removing rough concrete which was earlier filled under strong public pressure sensing that now things are settled and that now nobody will raise any question as per guidance and support of enforcement staff and now the construction work is in progress since then and the construction of basement is now amply visible at the site covering hundred percent area
When locals contacted Enforcement staff after restart of construction at the site that it is clear construction of basement, enforcement Inspector Gagan Kumar mislead complainant that the owner is constructing septic tank proving his unfair patronage to owner after shaking hand with him handsomely but yet again in an eyewash action ,enforcement Inspector guided owner to again fill the basement with rough concrete . However there is every likelihood that slab work on this basement will be completed in couple of days much to the agony of aggrieved locals
Construction of basement was meant to be dismantled and the owner deserved to be served relevant BOCA notices under Municipal Act 2000 but same was not done and infect owner was assured that for the time being fill pit dug out for construction of basement and later on he would be allowed to raise construction of basement after few days. Aggrieved locals now feel helpless as there is no one in JMC from bottom to top officials who could listen to voice of aggrieved people disturbing their peace due to ongoing unauthorized commercial constructions in different parts of Channi Himmat Housing Board colony.
GY CORRESPONDENT
jammu, jun 11
One Dinesh Soni s/o KL Soni allotted a commercial shop site No.1 vide No. HB/SS/CH/7327 dated 6-3-1999 measuring 377 Sqft ( size 14 ft 6 inch x 26 ft). Now owner got approved commercial site plan stage-1st from JMC vide No. 1441/ JMC/BS/2023-24 dated 16-11-2023 with total plot area 35.01 Sqm(377 Sqft) under which JMC allowed owner ground floor commercial measuring size 5.49 mtr x 4.42 mtr (24.27) Sqm (262 Sqft) with open area 10.74 Sqm (115 Sqft) for parking use from front side . The owner was duty bound to leave front 2.43 mtr x 4.42 mtr ( 115 Sqft) particularly meant for public parking as per Building Bye-laws 2021 in vogue and accordingly paid fee for ground floor commercial Rs 15729 for permitted construction and the owner was mandatory to construct septic tank and stairs from backside within his allowed construction area. The owner however instead of starting construction of commercial ground floor as per approved site plan actually first started construction of basement by going for digging more than 10 ft deep inside soil couple of weeks back covering hundred percent area of commercial site in the last week of April 2024. The excessive digging was strongly resented by locals as the owner covered hundred percent area and even covered nearby flowing waste water Nallah by putting slab on Nallah to facilitate two way entry both from front side and back side being a corner plot having approaching road both towards front and back side. Locals immediately brought the digging for construction of basement into the kind notice of Enforcement Inspector Gagan Kumar deputed in Ward-50 but instead of taking action against owner, he extended unfair support and patronage to owner. Then the aggrieved locals approached management of this newspaper to highlight this violated construction so that work can be stopped. To fulfill our journalistic ethos to highlight wrongdoings in the area, the management of this newspaper with pictures and violations sent on 1-5-2024 with pictures of ongoing construction of basement on whatsapp numbers of Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, Commissioner JMC, Enforcement Officer Anil Kashyap and Enforcement Inspector Gagan Kumar and within one hour the message was conveyed to owner who without wasting time somehow managed rough concrete and started putting the same into the pit dug out for construction of basement and the same continued on 2-5-2024 also which shows how big and deep was digging for construction of basement which was aimed to hoodwink aggrieved locals and also to complainant that JMC swiftly takes action against violators as the steel pillars raised were not touched and no breakage was done. Dissatisfied by eyewash action of JMC enforcement staff, aggrieved locals yet again approached management of this newspaper which prompted management to further investigate the matter and after thorough investigation , the management of this newspaper published a detailed story properly highlighting violations along with pictures which indicated open construction of basement with RCC pillars well intact at the site on 3-5-2024. However after publishing story , the construction work remained stopped for few days. After few days lull , the owner taking into confidence enforcement staff on 8-6-2024 started removing rough concrete which was earlier filled under strong public pressure sensing that now things are settled and that now nobody will raise any question as per guidance and support of enforcement staff and now the construction work is in progress since then and the construction of basement is now amply visible at the site covering hundred percent area. Meantime the owner taking the opportunity completed little work which was left also completed. When locals contacted Enforcement staff after restart of construction at the site that it is clear construction of basement, enforcement Inspector Gagan Kumar mislead complainant that the owner is constructing septic tank proving his unfair patronage to owner after shaking hand with him handsomely but yet again in an eyewash action ,enforcement Inspector guided owner to again fill the basement with rough concrete . However there is every likelihood that slab work on this basement will be completed in couple of days much to the agony of aggrieved locals. It is surprising to note that despite bringing violated construction of basement right from initial stage of digging , the Enforcement staff deputed in the area lent only deaf ear and deliberately closed their eyes and digging continued and steel net was laid and steel pillars raised because of their patronage to owner who is well known contractor and builder. Such actions have only encouraged violators to go to any extent of violations and even making land use change on their own either with or without approval of site plans causing serious damage to guidelines of JMP-2032 and Unified Building Bye-laws 2021 and also causing serious loss to govt exchequer. It is pertinent to mention here that the construction of basement was meant to be dismantled and the owner deserved to be served relevant BOCA notices under Municipal Act 2000 but the same was not done and infect the owner was assured that for the time being fill the pit dug out for construction of basement and later on he would be allowed to raise construction of basement after few days. The unfair inclination of JMC enforcement staff towards influential violators has been strongly resented by aggrieved locals who now feel helpless as there is no one in JMC from bottom to top ran officials who could listen to voice of aggrieved people disturbing their peace due to ongoing unauthorized commercial constructions in different parts of Channi Himmat Housing Board colony. Commissioner JMC should take serious cognizance of huge unauthorized construction against approved site plans going on unabated in Channi Himmat Govt planned Housing Colony resulting in serious violations of Master Plan 2032 and Unified Building Bye-laws 2021,JMC enforcement staff has been offering tutor services to violators how to raise unauthorized constructions and how to retain it if any relevant notice against unauthorized construction is issued against him. In other words, the action against violators for raising construction against guidelines of JMP-2032 in the form of serving notices under section 253,254 of J&K Municipal Corporation Act 2000 have so far turned mere cosmetic exercise as in most of the cases no follow-up was taken resulting in unabated unauthorized constructions in Channi Himmat area.