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

GY CORRESPONDENT
jammu, mar 12
Since the serving of final notice to Sharda Devi dated 24-11-2023 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
But more than three 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
Public Works Department (PWD) Division-1st Jammu J&K Govt and now PWD(R&B) Division Gandhi Nagar Jammu constructed Rehabilitation complex at Vikram Chowk Jammu costing worth crores in the year 2001-2002 to rehabilitate shopkeepers whose shops dismantled 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 .
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 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.
However RTI reply confirmed that since the allotment of shops in the year May 10, 2003 monthly rent has not been revised causing loss to PWD exchequer. In case of Khokha Wallas, remaining Rs 2.40 lacs which in grand total becomes Rs 528000 is still pending to be deposited by them when there was condition that until they deposit total money that is Rs 4.80 lacs, they won’t be given possession of shops besides their rent since then hasn’t been revised also. Pertinent to mention here that an outstanding rent of Rs 71800 in case of Khokha Wallas is still pending for the year up to March 2023 and likewise rent of shopkeepers on ground floor is also pending in lacs.
It is bizarre to note that portion of stairs measuring nearly 12×20 ft to reach first floor on ground floor has been occupied by one Sharda Devi wife of Raj Kumar without any allotment order where she is running RK Photostat shop measuring 8×20 ft with proper shutter narrowing size of stairs and generating worth lacs monthly because of prime location in heart of city at Vikram Chowk.
In all this the bathroom facility which is only available on first floor has been closed on account of shop constructed on stairs as there is no provision of bathroom facility on ground floor. Now the question arises if PWD has not allotted stairs space to run Photostat shop to one Sharda Devi who has managed commercial electricity connection with whose permission Sharda Devi managed shop covering stairs area. It deserves mentioning here that this arrangement on shop is now worth crores and the sources have disclosed that Sharda Devi has further sublet shop to another person charging nearly Rs 1 lac monthly as rent. When PWD Authorities were approached by aggrieved shopkeepers facing immense hardships due to coverage of staircase turned shop by Sharda Devi, the concerned authorities told them no such allotment has been made in favour of Sharda Devi and so question doesn’t arise in accepting any rent from her and in away admitted that the staircase shop has been illegally occupied by Sharda Devi. In this regard when an RTI application filed how one Sharda Devi managed to occupy staircase and establishing shop at PWD Rehabilitation Complex Vikram Chowk and after getting to know about this what action has been taken by PWD Authorities.
The concerned PWD authorities disclosed that a notice was served to Sharda Devi vide No. 2400 dated 24-11-2023 to produce all relevant in her possession to seek her claims on shop covering staircase within ten days failing which the action warranted under law will be taken against her and that it will be assumed that she has nothing to say with regard to possession of shop covering staircase at PWD Rehabilitation Complex Vikram Chowk
It deserves mentioning here that Sharda Devi didn’t respond to this notice within ten days but PWD Authorities didn’t take any action against her , however under pressure, PWD Authorities disclosed that a letter was written to Superintending Engineer PWD (R&B) Circle South vide this office letter No. 4692-94 dated 2-2-2024 for seeking directions who further has sought directions for Chief Engineer vide his letter No. SESJ/Adm/3756-57 dated 12-2-2024 and that action shall be initiated as per directions of Chief Engineer. But in all this shop as usual running smoothly and there seems no end to sufferings of other shopkeepers who are facing immense hardships on account of coverage of staircase at Rehabilitation Complex Vikram Chowk Jammu.
Now one of the aggrieved shopkeeper has lodged a complaint in J&K Govt Grievance Cell vide No. ‘999004828303’ claiming that an illegal possession has been made in the PWD Rehabilitation Complex in the staircase area and is being used for commercial purposes under the name of RK Communication for a long time now without any documentation and rent. The shop is assumed to generate lacs of revenue without paying any rent thus causing the losses to the govt exchequre. The shop is worth 40 – 70 lac as of today. The complaint against the same has been raised in the past dated 26/07/23 but no proper documentation was submitted by RK Communication. Since then no further action has been taken indicating the involvement of officials of PWD Authorities. As per sources the complaint from J&K Govt Grievances Cell has been forwarded to concerned ‘DC Jammu’ for redressal. A reply has been given by the ‘DC Jammu’ towards this complaint ‘999004828303’.
But more than three months have gone by since the serving of final notice to Sharda Devi dated 24-11-2023 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.