PWD(R&B) Division Gandhi Nagar after remaining mum for 20 years over illegal occupation of staircase area at PWD Rehabilitation Complex, Vikram Chowk serves final notice to accused dated 24-11-2023 avoids action after unfair settlement to allow continuing shop admitting itself possession of staircase illegal

When a RTI application dated 26-7-2023 was filed in this regard after concerned took no action against Sharda Devi for covering staircase area in between shop 6- and Shop -7, PWD Authorities woke up from deep slumber and were forced to reply vide letter No. 6852-56 dated 19-7-2023 that no legal permission has been granted in favour of Sharda Devi for covering staircase area which was easily understandable to reach at simple conclusion that how ordinary Sharda Devi managed to cover staircase area that too in Govt PWD Rehabilitation complex without the involvement of concerned higher officials from time to time since 2003-2004.
But more than two months have gone by since the serving of final notice to Sharda Devi no action has been taken against Sharda Devi when in absence of relevant documents of possession of shop ,the shop in question should have been closed but now reliable sources have disclosed that the RK Photostat shop earlier claimed by Sharda Devi has been sublet to one Ashwani Kumar s/o Dharam Pal worth crores most possibly with active connivance of PWD concerned official and the shop after remaining closed for few days has again started running
In response to final notice, Sharda Devi produced a letter addressed to then R&B Minister claiming that being from backward class community and also a widow want to utilize vacant area below staircase of PWD Rehabilitation complex Vikram Chown as she was jobless and want some job to earn livelihood way back in the year 2010 but PWD Department did not oblige her as had they obliged then concerned PWD officials would not have told that no legal permission has been granted in favour of Sharda Devi
GY CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, JAN 29
PWD (R&B) Division Gandhi Nagar, Jammu earlier known as Public Works Department (PWD) Division-1st Jammu J&K Govt constructed Rehabilitation complex at Vikram Chowk Jammu costing worth crores in the year 2001-2002 to rehabilitate shopkeepers whose shops merged in road widening at Bikram Chowk Jammu. Initially 12 shops measuring 12×20 ft were constructed on ground floor in 2001-2002 and then constructed 11 shops on first floor with proper provision of stairs in between shops 6 and 7 to reach first floor. It deserves mentioning here that the size if stairs was nearly 12×20 ft . Worthwhile to mention here that those who were running Khokhas (22 in number) also rehabilitated with half of shops on first floor . It is pertinent to mention here that the owners of existing shops whose shops merged in road widening in Vikram Chowk were asked to deposit Rs 1.15 lacs as non refundable construction cost with Rs 28000 registration fee and further Rs 300 was fixed as monthly rent which shall be revisable @ 15% after a spell of every three years. Similarly in case of Khokha Wallas, they were asked to deposit Rs 4.80 lacs in total and initially 50% that is Rs 2.40 lacs with a condition that if the total amount is not paid within fifteen days , they can’t have possession of half of their shops and further Rs 500 was fixed as monthly rent which shall be revisable @ 15% after a spell of every three years. After completion of all the legal formalities the shops both at ground floor and first floor were finally handed over to victims of road widening both shops owners and also Khoka wallas in the year 2003-2004. Worthwhile to mention here that portion of stairs measuring nearly 12×20 ft to reach first floor on ground floor remained occupied by one Sharda Devi wife of Raj Kumar without any allotment order after fitting proper shutter having commercial power connection in 2003-2004 started running RK Photostat shop generating worth lacs monthly because of prime location in heart of city at Vikram Chowk. In all this the bathroom facility which was only available on first floor got closed on account of shop constructed on stairs as there was no provision of bathroom facility on ground floor. It deserves mentioning here that all this was done with the support of then XEN PWD as action warranted under law for trespassing into govt territory was not taken despite the fact that the legal alottees as well as visitors registered several complaints in this regard before the concerned but nothing happened. As there was no legal allotment in favour of Sharda Devi to cover staircase area causing serious obstacles in reaching first floor as the area below case there was water tank to facilitate bathroom on first floor which was closed after Sharda Devi occupied staircase, question doesn’t arise of getting any rent from Sharda Devi on monthly basis as was fixed at the time of handing over shops at ground and first floor to victims of road widening.
When a RTI application dated 26-7-2023 was filed in this regard after concerned took no action against Sharda Devi for covering staircase area in between shop 6- and Shop -7, PWD Authorities woke up from deep slumber and were forced to reply vide letter No. 6852-56 dated 19-7-2023 that no legal permission has been granted in favour of Sharda Devi for covering staircase area which was easily understandable to reach at simple conclusion that how ordinary Sharda Devi managed to cover staircase area that too in Govt PWD Rehabilitation complex without the involvement of concerned higher officials from time to time since 2003-2004.
When the matter reached in public domain through print media raising serious question mark on credibility of PWD department for allowing one Sharda Devi to run proper shop under name and style RK Photostat shop generating worth lacs monthly without legal permission from department, PWD concerned authorities finally served a notice to Sharda Devi vide No. 1663-64 dated 25-10-2023 claiming that as per report of Junior Engineer deputed by Assistant Executive Engineer Sub Division Gandhi Nagar-1 Sharda Devi has occupied staircase area at PWD Rehabilitation Complex at Vikram Chowk Jammu illegally and asked her to produce relevant documents of her occupancy of staircase area within ten days from the date of serving of this notice failing which the concerned office will assume that she has nothing to say in this regard and then action as warranted under law will be initiated against her. In response to this notice, Sharda Devi produced a letter addressed to then R&B Minister claiming that being from backward class community and also a widow want to utilize vacant area below staircase of PWD Rehabilitation complex Vikram Chown as she was jobless and want some job to earn livelihood way back in the year 2010 but PWD Department did not oblige her as had they obliged then concerned PWD officials would not have told that no legal permission has been granted in favour of Sharda Devi. However dissatisfied by documents produced by Sharda Devi, Executive Engineer PWD(R&B) Division Gandhi Nagar Jammu served final notice to Sharda Devi vide No. 2400 dated 24-11-2023 to furnish relevant document of possession/ownership within period of ten days from the date of serving of final notice failing which it will be assumed that you have nothing to say with regard to possession of shop below staircase of Rehabilitation Complex Vikram Chowk Jammu and the action as warranted under law will be initiated again her. But more than two months have gone by since the serving of final notice to Sharda Devi no action has been taken against Sharda Devi when in absence of relevant documents of possession of shop ,the shop in question should have been closed but now reliable sources have disclosed that the RK Photostat shop earlier claimed by Sharda Devi has been sublet to one Ashwani Kumar s/o Dharam Pal worth crores most possibly with active connivance of PWD concerned official and the shop after remaining closed for few days has again started running. PWD concerned higher authorities must take serious cognizance of this as this illegal occupation of staircase has already caused serious loss to govt exchequer in lacs as no rent has been provided by illegal occupant Sharda Devi till date. The need of the hour is serious investigation into present case as this development is serious in nature as how one ordinary person like Sharda Devi continued covering staircase area for years together with legal permission of PWD.