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| Jammu's agriculture land shrinking fast, courtesy real estate, land mafia | | Committees set up by Govt fail to produce report on unauthorised colonies | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 26: A couple of high level committees set up in recent years first by the NC-Congress coalition and present PDP-BJP alliance government to look into the cause of mushrooming unauthorized colonies in Jammu have failed to produce any concrete report, much to the convenience of the real estate and land mafia who are working in tandem with some links in the government departments to turn the peripheral areas of city into a jungle of unplanned habitation. Besides selling JDA and Housing Board plots at a brazen pace, this mafia has also extended its hands on to the agriculture land which is shrinking fast in many areas.
Sources said it was in the year 2013 that the then NC-Congress government set up a committee headed by Chief Secretary to examine the issue of mushrooming growth of unplanned and illegal colonies not only in Jammu but in its peripheral areas, a matter which came up many times in the state Legislative Assembly. At that time the government admitted that a number of such colonies had come up and that steps were being taken to regularize some of them, said the sources adding that since regularization means a huge task of providing all basic facilities, it was not possible for the concerned departments to make available this infrastructure overnight. But this step which was also meant to prevent further establishment of illegal colonies did not yield any result as there is a strong nexus between the land mafia, real estate people and some officials in Revenue department as also in the Forest Department, said the sources adding all that Government has to identify the number of such colonies.
Sources said this mafia undeterred by action from any quarter is busy in selling the agriculture land by demarcating it into residential plots which is banned. They are even selling the plots demarcated by JDA and Housing Board in many areas, said the sources, adding that it is a flourishing business which is minting money from the gullible buyers who get entrapped by easy deals as detailed in newspaper ads every day. This mafia on its own without seeking any permission from the concerned departments is carving out self declared residential colonies by demarcating and selling only land under the very nose of the government which turns blind eye until the massive constructions are raised , said the sources.
These unauthorised colonies in areas like Pouni Chak, Gajansoo Marh, Purkhoo, Mishriwalla and even some parts of Muthi, Kot Bhalwal on one side and Bari Brahmana, RS Pura , Bir Pur, Purmandal on the other side have become a huge liability for the government now as there is no infrastructure worth living, not even basic facilities like water and electricity for the people who have raised their houses there, said the sources.Sources further said that in some other areas of Jammu like Bhatindi, Sunjwan, Sidhra, Ragoora land mafia is selling land on simple affidavits or power of attorney without any resistance from the concerned departments like revenue and forest. Pertinent to mention is that there are around 35-38 unauthorized colonies in Jammu district alone out of which only 13 stand regularized by the government. The land mafia is not even leaving forest land meant for grazing of cattle in some areas said the sources, adding that forest ministry is sleeping over even for its prime land in some parts which stands grabbed.
Even though the present government has also set up one more committee to look into this menace, nothing concrete has emerged as of now nor is its status of functioning known. |
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