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| Municipal laws trampled in commercial areas, water bodies also encroached | | As Government acts mutely violations continue in Srinagar city | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 18: The state government's decision to take action against the violators of Municipal Laws in the summer capital would be tested on ground since dozens of violations have come up in the recent past. Many of these violations have come up in the aftermath of September 2014 flood.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state has witnessed many violations in the past with people taking the municipal authorities for a ride. In some of the cases the violators managed to grease the palms of concerned officials and as such they were able to raise structures in violation of the Municipal laws.
"As the things started to settle down after the last year's devastating flood some of the shopkeepers in the commercial areas of city started to violate the municipal laws. These shopkeepers who were running kuccha shops wasted no time in concretizing their shops. This took place under the nose of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) authorities," said sources.
Sources said that some of the people complained against this violation as a result of which the SMC authorities were coerced to take action against the violators. However, the action turned out to be half-hearted one with the violators carried out their action in a clandestine manner.
"Since the SMC authorities had taken money from the shopkeepers they had to ensure that the violations go on without any interruption. The SMC officials asked the shopkeepers to carry out the violations in a camouflaged manner by erecting tin sheets on the front and carrying out the construction in the back," said sources.
Sources said that state government's demolition drive should start from the Exhibition area in the city where some of the shopping complexes and malls have come in violation of the existing Municipal laws. Since these establishments are owned by 'big fish' it remains to be seen how will the concerned department deal with them?
"Near the General Post Office some of the people have encroached upon the Jhelum river and carried out constructions like anything. These people had constructed the ground floor of their new houses some years back and the subsequent floors were constructed immediately after the last year's flood," said sources.
Sources said that violation in dozens of cases has taken place in some of the commercially important areas of the Srinagar city. These violations have come up in Lal Chowk, Court Road, Regal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and some other areas of the summer capital. Despite lapse of many months no action has been taken against the 'violators' and they continue to carry on.
It would be in place to mention here that Housing and Urban Development department has identified around 10,000 structures which have come up in violation of Municipal and Building laws in Srinagar and Jammu cities. The department had also said that a demolition drive would be carried out and these structures would be brought down. |
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