JMC did not take requisite action against construction of three unauthorized shops despite Dy General Manager through a letter informed Joint Commissioner JMC that three year validity of approved site plan granted by JMC dated 26-11-2018 had already lapsed as the owner started construction of unauthorized three shops after nearly six years of getting site plan dated 26-11-2018 demanding action against owner as per Uniform Policy of J&K Housing Board.
Had the JMC served BOCA demolition notice under JMC Act 2000/UBBL-2021 when print media highlighted unauthorized commercial construction along with pictures dated 22-10-2024, 31-12-2024, 21-2-2025 now the owner would not have dared to restart unauthorized commercial construction on bifurcated residential plot 29-C which is getting stopped and restarted on pick and choose basis for the last four months slowly and steadily moving ahead with small breaks being facilitated by concerned JMC staff and construction of walls on RCC pillars reaching nearly up to slab level covering 2700 sqft
GY CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, FEB 25
There is no dearth of rules, by-laws, and statutory provisions that govern the conduct of construction activities within Jammu Municipality area. However, illegal construction continues to thrive in Housing Board Zonal planned colonies and also in the areas under jurisdiction of Jammu Development Authority(JDA). While such activities are nearly universal across all 75 Wards , they are most rampant in Channi Himmat, Gandhi Nagar and Shastri Nagar Housing Board colonies. A primary reason is that in these colonies, the cost of land is steep, and the huge demands for housing, office and commercial space for running businesses is in huge demand. Unfortunately JMC enforcement staff has been always found towards the side of violators and they in most of cases have taken only eyewash action to hoodwink general public and for record sake that too under extreme public pressure to stop unauthorized constructions within JMC jurisdiction.
To put the things in perspective, Golden Yug English newspaper after getting feedback from concerned aggrieved people and after thorough investigation and going through relevant record in this regard dated 21-2-2025 published a detailed story along with pictures that owner of residential plot 29-C Shastri Nagar has started violated commercial construction measuring nearly 2700 sqft on bifurcated residential plot and JMC taking only oral action and as an eyewash action claiming to stop construction work at the site and violated commercial construction with the help of enforcement staff going on at the site.
As usual , JMC in an eyewash action on the evening of publishing a story sent acting Enforcement Inspector Shahnawaz performing duties in Shastri Nagar area due to deputed Enforcement Inspector Pranav Jamwal on leave who visited the site and with his hands remove few bricks from one of the wall and return back. The locals informed management of this newspaper what happened at the site to which correspondents along with cameramen crew visited the site and found claims of locals true. It is surprising to note that without serving relevant notice under JMC Act 2000/UBBL-2021 to owner, JMC yet again took oral action by removing few bricks as was done earlier also and then construction re-started as not only concerned JMC enforcement staff but JMC higher authorities favouring owner to continue with violated commercial construction.
Had the JMC served BOCA demolition notice under JMC Act 2000/UBBL-2021 when print media highlighted unauthorized commercial construction along with pictures dated 22-10-2024, 31-12-2024 and 21-2-2025 now the owner would not have dared to restart unauthorized commercial construction on bifurcated residential plot 29-C which is getting stopped and restarted on pick and choose basis for the last four months slowly and steadily moving ahead with small breaks being facilitated by concerned JMC staff.
To put things in perspective, owner Col KK Lakhanpal s/o Amarnath Lakhanpal r/o Jammu was allotted a residential plot 29-C by J&K Housing Board in Shastri Nagar measuring 60×90 (5400 Sqft) vide No. 192-HD of 1983 dated 23-6-1983 under discretionary quota of Chief Minister at the cost of 2.35 per sqft and ground rate at the rate of Rs 1 per marla per annum. The owner accordingly got approved residential site plan for double stories from JMC vide No. 481/JMC/BS/2018 dated 26-11-2018 against application No. 6153 dated 6-1-2017 and as per approved site plan, the owner was allowed 45% construction and also duty bound to maintain mandatory setbacks including front side 6 mtr, rear 3 mtr, sides -1st 3 mtr and side-2nd , 2 mtr as per then JMP-2021 but owner before starting construction bifurcated residential plot into two parts 2700 sqft each and raised two story residential house covering 2700 sqft area adjoining with residential house 30-C without maintaining setbacks and kept open 2nd part of bifurcated plot towards main road of Shastri Nagar Housing Board Colony thus completely deviating from approved site plan. But at time also , JMC didn’t take any action against owner then also for deviating from approved site plan and bifurcating residential plan on his own by raising residential construction on one part of bifurcated plot and leaving another portion having front towards main road of Shastri Nagar colony. Owner meantime sold out 2nd partition of residential plot facing front towards main road of Shastri Nagar colony without seeking NOC from Housing Board through power of attorney and the same was brought into kind notice of Housing Board by aggrieved locals.
Taking serious cognizance of this, Dy General Manager Housing Board Unit-II, Jammu vide letter No.HU/II/2452-53 dated 18-10-2024 brought into notice of Joint Commissioner, JMC illegal sale of J&K Housing Board Plot 29-C at Shastri Nagar Jammu. The letter further informed that owner has started construction on front side of bifurcated residential plot which was stopped by field staff of Housing Board on 4-5-2024 and at present unauthorized commercial construction is going on residential plot 29-C. Further intimated validity of 3 years of building permission accorded by JMC dated 26-11-2018 to previous owner stands expired requesting Joint Commissioner JMC to take action against owner under UBBL-2021 and stop ongoing unauthorized construction. But JMC did’nt take the matter seriously and avod action against owner after joining hands with owner
When concerned Enforcement staff was questioned by aggrieved locals regarding ongoing construction of three unauthorized shops without JMC permission and too making land use change, they categorically said the ongoing work of shops has been stopped and that they demolish ongoing construction but in reality few bricks were uprooted of main wall towards front side of main road of Shastri Nagar Housing Board colony but the internal RCC pillars were not touched and as a result of which the construction continued.
It deserves mentioning here that Secretary J&K Housing Board Jammu wrote a letter to Deputy General Manager ,Housing Unit-II ,Shastri Nagar Jammu vide No. HB/Secy/5008-09 dated 14-10-2024 over illegal sale of J&K Housing Board Plot No. 29-C at Shastri Nagar Jammu in reference to a letter addressed to Secretary by Deputy General Manager vide letter No. HU/ii/123 dated 23-4-2024 and the e-office physical status report of plot in reference received by Secretary Housing Board Jammu on 24-9-2024. The Secretary in this letter was directed to request Deputy General Manager to take necessary action against owner in collaboration with JMC.
The support of concerned JMC staff including Yash Pal Sharma Naib Tehsildar working as Enforcement Officer and Pranav Jamwal Junior Assistant working as Enforcement Inspector deputed in Ward-22 to owner is evident from the fact that when aggrieved locals file RTI application ,those at the helm of affairs provide misguiding information hiding actual information like when asked what action has been taken against owner for raising unauthorized construction of three big size shops without permission from JMC, the concerned JMC PIO wrongly replied that no construction is going on at the site neither residential nor commercial and in another para seeking action against owner they said matter pertains to building section vide No.JMC/Enf/313-15 dated 25-11-2024 openly declaring pledge to save unauthorized construction of owner. Unscientific constructions flouting Jammu Municipal Building Rules and JMP-2032 norms are among the main reasons for the accelerated erosion happening on many parts within JMC. JMC has failed to curb growing unauthorised construction happening in all 75 wards. Several illegal extensions and constructions have come up recently in Channi Himmat particularly.
In light of above , Commissioner JMC should take serious cognizance of eyewash action by concerned field staff as faith of JMC is getting shattered among Municipality residents due to nepotism and favourtism of enforcement staff who takes action on pick and choose basis and in no case takes any action against those who pay them for allowing violated constructions irrespective of nature of violated constructions even if completely against JMP-2032 and Unified Building Bye-laws 2021. At the same time Dy Commissioner South should also start delivering professional duties with lot more sincerity failing which if the long rope being given by him to field staff for ignoring violated constructions, the enforcement staff will prove fatal for residents of Municipal areas and in near future no future Master plan will be executive.
