JMC facilitating multi-story commercial structure by dismantling existing Vimal Public School building clubbing three residential plots in Ward-27, Bakshi Nagar with closed gates to hoodwink public

Owner after completing construction of commercial basement after excessive digging developing cracks in nearby residential houses without maintaining setbacks and covering hundred percent plot area now raising RCC Pillars to construct multi-story commercial structure making land use change from residential to commercial
Owner openly making land use change in residential colony popularly known as Govt Refugee Colony openly and brazenly under nose of JMC authorities much to the disappointment and agony of aggrieved locals but so far no BOCA notices served to owner
Despite publishing a detailed story along with pictures and also informing concerning enforcement staff, JMC hasn’t moved even an inch which proves that owner is enjoying their patronage at the cost of JMP-2032 and Unified Building Bye-laws 2021
Moreover owner Prem Gupta in front of these three plots existing structure also owns PR Hotel absolutely in front of other side of road which as per sources has been constructed covering road area and without maintaining setbacks by covering more area with help of Enforcement staff without getting site plan approved from JMC
Locals wishing anonymity told that owner using drill hammer to break existing walls of School building resulting in shakes in neighbors house alleging that JMC enforcement staff facilitating unauthorized construction
GY CORRESPONDENT
jammu, aug 29
It is now an established fact that khilafwarzi inspectors patronizing illegal constructions by smartly playing on the name of issuance of notice under 7(1) and 8 (3) of BOCA but never take follow-up action in most of cases which raised question marks on the functioning of higher ups in JMC especially the enforcement wing. In some cases they even don’t serve BOCA notices. One such example is ongoing commercial construction in the existing building of Vimal Public School, Bakshi Nagar by owner of PR Hotel Prem Gupta in ward 27 owning three residential plots 208,209,210 measuring 20×40 Sqft which becomes total area as 60×40 Sqft on main road in Bakshi Nagar area where at ground floor running Prem Cloth House.
It deserves mentioning here that notwithstanding that a detailed story along with pictures published in print media dated 19-8-2023 and also concerned enforcement staff was also informed with a request to stop commercial construction in residential plots in residential colony popularly known as Refugee Colony. JMC instead of serving BOCA notices under relevant sections facilitating commercial construction by asking owner to close both the entry gates to hoodwink general public that JMC has stopped unauthorized construction but in reality the construction was not stopped and still continuing. In the meantime the owner being an influential person in the area has already completed construction of basement and now raising RCC Pillars to construct multi-story commercial structure.
Though JMC Commissioner during surprise visits in various parts of city himself noticed scores of massive illegal constructions in violation of land use, however, this fail to deter the illegal constructions in others parts of the city. Blaming the higher ups for encouraging this illegal construction in Bakshi Nagar, one local of the locality said “Every day without failure the enforcement inspector used to visit this illegal construction site but after exchange of greetings disappear. Locals wishing anonymity told that owner using drill hammer to break existing walls of School building resulting in shakes in neighbors house alleging that JMC enforcement staff facilitating unauthorized construction.There is something fishy else without consent of concerned enforcement inspector owner cannot even fix a single brick”. Another money minting business is sealing and de-sealing of illegal structures especially commercial on frivolous grounds, reveal insiders.
It deserves mentioning here that earlier on these three plots, there used to be a School namely Vimal Public School which stopped functioning during first wave of Covid-19 owned by one Bank Manage Ashok Gupta also resident of Bakshi Nagar. As per sources, Prem Gupta purchased this building from Ashok Gupta costing worth crores. Worthwhile to mention here that Prem Gupta after taking possession of building started construction by dismantling existing school building step by step without getting site plan approved from JMC. Taking serious cognizance of this aggrieved locals brought the same into kind notice of enforcement staff but nothing was done in this regard as a result of which the owner being an influential person couple of days back started construction of basement with huge RCC pillars round it which is nothing less than a plan to construct a multi story commercial building.
Moreover Prem Gupta in front of these three plots existing structure also owns PR Hotel absolutely in front of other side of road which as per sources has been constructed covering road area. Aggrieved locals further disclosed that such a gigantic commercial constructions has developed cracks in nearby residential houses due to excessive digging but even then JMC enforcement staff hasn’t taken any cognizance of this which shows the owner is enjoying patronage of JMC. Pertinent to mention here, that Prem Gupta has also purchased residential houses in the surroundings and a well known figure in the area.
The start of this commercial construction has put serious question mark on credibility and sincerity of JMC which always delays action against influential persons as a result of which the owners successfully complete violate construction. When these violated construction near completion they wake up and then serve BOCA notices and here also never project actual violations and somehow help violators to get violations compounded by projecting same at lower side to help owners.
Commissioner JMC must take serious cognizance of this and should immediately send team to have first hand appraisal of land use change at the site where owner without any fear of competitive authority openly and brazenly converting residential ground floor into commercial one and also extending business area on his own without JMC permission. For enforcement inspectors, the solution to illegal constructions is always readily available for price.The large number of unauthorized commercial as well as residential constructions which are going on in areas allotted to them stands testimony to these allegations of corruption which is flourishing at alarming speed.