JMC’s fake demolition drive exposed: Illegal commercial construction goes on in Shastri Nagar
Owner Col KK Lakhanpal illegally sold out 2nd partition of residential bifurcated plot facing front towards main road of Shastri Nagar Colony to one Vishal Dabotra through power of attorney without prior NOC of Housing Board as legally bifurcated plot of Housing Board can’t be transferred in name of new owner whose sole aim was to raise commercial construction keeping in view commercial establishments in the surroundings in connivance with concerned JMC enforcement staff deployed in Wrd-22
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 and start of construction on front side of bifurcated residential plot when site plan approved 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 didn’t take the matter seriously and avoid action against owner
JMC with full might made every effort to allow owner to complete violated commercial construction on illegally bifurcated corner residential plot 29-C, Shastri Nagar, Ward-22 which is evident from the fact that print media with relevant details and pictures of violated construction published four stories in this regard starting from 22-10-2024,31-12-2024,26-2-2025 and 17-3-2025 but JMC took only eyewash action including cosmetic demolition drives four times but violated structure is still intact and ready for slab work which will be done after go-ahead by JMC in garb of forthcoming govt holidays in this month
GY CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, MAR 24
It is now an established fact that in most of the cases, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) conducting demolition drives that are perceived as superficial or “eyewash” operations, with concerns that they are not addressing the root issues or are not followed through. Residents and media outlets claim that JMC demolition drives are merely a facade, with the civic body removing only a portion of unsafe structures rather than fully demolishing them. Some reports suggest that construction work resumes on structures after a “faked” demolition, indicating a lack of genuine enforcement. There are concerns that the drives are not addressing the underlying issues of illegal construction or encroachments. One instance mentioned involves a commercial structure on a bifurcated residential plot in Shastri Nagar, Jammu, where construction resumed after a perceived “fake” demolition. The JMC has not issued any official statement regarding the allegations of “eyewash” demolition drives.
To put the things in right perspective, owner Col KK Lakhanpal was allotted a residential corner plot 29-C by J&K Housing Board in Shastri Nagar Jammu measuring 60×90 (5400 Sqft) . 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 as per JMP-2032 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 that 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 to one Vishal Dabotra through power of attorney without prior NOC of Housing Board whose sole aim was to raise commercial construction keeping in view commercial establishments in the surroundings and the same was brought into kind notice of Housing Board by aggrieved locals as the site plan for bifurcated plot can’t be approved by concerned competent authorities nor it can be further transferred in name of new owner as per JMP-2032 and also as per existing norms of J&K Housing Board.
The new owner after getting possession of bifurcated plot started commercial construction in the month of April-May 2024 without valid permission from JMC which was strongly resented by aggrieved locals who brought the same into notice of Housing Board that owner has on its own bifurcated residential plot which is strictly prohibited in the eyes of J&K Housing Board norms.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 didn’t take the matter seriously and avoid action against owner after joining hands with owner as Assistant Enforcement officer Kuldeep Kumar and Enforcement Inspector Sanjay Gandotra deployed in Shastri Nagar area Ward-22 extended every possible help to owner to start commercial construction and as a result of which didn’t report violative construction to higher-ups in JMC.
It deserves mentioning here that even after receipt of above letter, JMC didn’t take any action against owner and in a way threw letter to dustbin as a useless thing and no further proceedings done in this regard. However aggrieved locals when didn’t get any response from JMC, they approached management of this newspaper along with relevant details and pictures of ongoing violated construction and also narrating the proceedings as mentioned above, this newspaper as its moral and ethical duty to highlight wrong doings by JMC published a detailed story dated 22-10-2024. When concerned Enforcement staff including Naib Tehsildar Yashpal Sharma working as acting Enforcement officer and Enforcement Inspector Pranav Jamwal who were deployed in Ward-22 on 15-10-2024 was questioned by aggrieved locals dated 23-10-2024 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 orally without serving owner relevant notices under JMC Act 2000 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. Surprisingly their action was not cross-checked by concerned higher-ups in JMC and also press note of this eyewash demolition was also not released to media houses in Jammu which prima-facie proves cosmetic exercise on part of JMC.
The new owner having full patronage of concerned JMC officials didn’t stop as JMC enforcement staff after shaking hands with owner allows restart of three unauthorized big size commercial shops at residential plot 29-C, Shastri Nagar, Ward-22 which remained stopped for sometime after aggrieved locals opposed commercial construction and print media highlighted violated construction along with pictures dated 21-10-2024 making land use change without getting site plan approved from JMC which can’t be done plot being bifurcated.Aggrieved locals again approached management of this newspaper with updated details and as a result of which this newspaper again published a detailed story dated 31-12-2024 which stopped ongoing commercial construction making land use change for the time being and intermittently construction continued and as a result of which ongoing violated construction reached slab level.
When violated construction once again started , this newspaper yet again published a story dated 26-2-2025 and 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.
JMC further continuing drama of being strict to unauthorized construction sent same staff who were mastermind of allowing violated construction making land use change site in Shastri Nagar on 4-3-2025 morning 5AM with JCB and yet again made mockery of carrying JCB for demolition but removing few bricks from one the walls without touching RCC pillars and thus competing formalities of so called demolition. This eyewash demolition soon exposed when owner again started laying bricks uprooted in so called demolition on 4-3-2025 on 16-3-2025 after a halt of nearly 12 days. This newspaper in order to wakeup JMC again published a story dated 17-3-2025 highlighting restart of violative construction along with pictures on 16-3-2025 on Sunday but nothing was done in this regard and owner meantime successfully managed to take violative construction up to slab level with the help of concerned enforcement staff deputed in Shastri Nagar area by putting bricks again from where they were lifted.
After publishing of story on 17-3-2025 Monday, JMC continued cosmetic exercise of demolition on 18-3-2025 noon also and reached spot but the concerned enforcement staff headed by Enforcement Inspector Pranav Jamwal already in favour of owner had already informed owner that demolition team approaching asking owner to manage manpower to avoid action against him at the site. As per the script of this whole drama, JMC acted wonderfully and return back without taking action against owner claiming that crowd gathered at the site and in order to avoid any untoward incident , JMC staff has to return back due to lack of proper security apparatus at the site an yet again this violated construction was hush-up which by the way JMC also wanted. As a result of which the violated construction as on date is fully intact and there is every likelihood that the slab work will be completed on this violated commercial structure in forthcoming three govt holidays ass has been done earlier also in several cases
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.
