Owner deviating from residential approved site plan didn’t construct Verandah towards front side in left side followed by informal in the middle sitting room , toilet, lobby , kitchen and bedroom on ground floor. Similarly on first and 2nd floors, the owner didn’t construct balcony , toilet , bedroom which means in absence of all this in no way this construction is considered residential construction
GY CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, MAR 5
Posh residential areas Gandhi Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Channi Himmat are fast turning into breeding grounds for unauthorized conversion of residential properties for commercial purposes. Housing colonies in Jammu city were developed for residential purposes and no commercial building permissions were accorded in these colonies other than the area earmarked for commercial activity by the concerned authorities. However majority of these housing colonies has acquired the status of more of a commercial hub having big shopping centres of every type including sale and service of motor vehicles.
Besides many illegal structures have also sprouted up, there have been many such instances in the recent past, with Jammu Municipal Corporation turning a blind eye to them. Though the residential areas of Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Sainik colonies, Channi Himmat and Trikuta Nagar in Jammu city have been constructed under planned colonies developed by Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, J&K Sainik Cooperative Society, Jammu Development Authority (JDA), but, the scores of owners have changed the land use of residential plots in violation to the existing building norms. Prominent influential people residing in these areas have played a key role in growth of such commercial activities. Enforcement wings exist in all agencies like Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu Development Authority, Housing Board etc. but a kind of game goes on in between these agencies wherein they keep shifting the blame from one to other. Though a number of notices are issued to violators, people go to court and get a stay.
To put the things in perspective, Opender Kumar Koul s/o PN Koul c/o Ashok Kumar Koul , Indian Airline Jammu purchased a residential plot 207/2 measuring 40×80 (3200 Sqft) with 16.37 sqft extra area for which owner paid Rs 58723 vide GR No. 450603 dated 7-10-2024 to Housing Board making total plot area as 3216.37 sqft , Ward-50 on main road from J&K Housing Board way back in the year 1989. The owner after nearly 35 years and expiry of lease deed construction applied for approval of residential site plan from JMC and got it approved vides No. 742/JMC/BS/2024-25 dated 2-11-2024. As per approved site plan , total plot area projected 297.3 sqm (3200 sqft) instead of 3216.37 sqft. The owner was allowed ground, first and 2nd floors residential each measuring 163.5 sqm(1760 sqft). The open area of plot was 133.8 sqm (1440 sqft). The owner was duty bound to leave front 6.34 mtr (20ft), rear-2 mtr(6.5 ft), side-1, 2 mtr(6.5 ft). The height of residential house was fixed as 12 mtr. The owner accordingly paid residential building fee for permitted construction area as Rs 53240.
As per approved drawing of residential structure , the owner was to construct Verandah towards front side where entry gate to be installed on left side in left side followed by informal in the middle sitting room and towards right side of front lift provision with toilet. Behind sitting room, the owner was to construct lobby then towards backside in left kitchen and right side bedroom on ground floor with separate walls for each and every construction as per approved residential drawing. However in case of first and 2nd floors, the owner was allowed balcony towards left side followed by toilet in between bedroom and rests the same in case of ground floor.
However owner started commercial construction completely deviating from approved residential site plan by not constructing verandah, bedroom, kitchen, lobby, toilet except keeping provision for lift to reach onward floors and literally constructed three big commercial halls exactly at par with each other without observing mandatory setbacks besides extending unauthorized 3 ft galleries on three floors on three sides including front side, backside and side-1 .However the slab work on 2nd floor is about to take place in couple of days as shuttering work on 2nd floor stands completed. It is highly surprising to note JMC enforcement staff which is duty bound to ensure every construction in the jurisdiction of duty strictly as per approved site plan has drastically failed to take action against owner till date when unauthorized construction has already reached up to 2nd floor completely against residential approved site plan as there are no signs of construction being residential as on three floors there are no partition walls and infect three commercial halls without maintaining setbacks.
In light of above , Commissioner JMC should take violated constructions going on in Channi Himmat area seriously and should take deserving initiatives in this regard and if action is delayed the credibility of JMC will be further damaged as right now the 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.
