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| Hoteliers enjoy official patronage, out to destroy resort's ecological balance | | PDA fails to apply Court directives to illegal constructions in Patnitop | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 28: In sheer violation of the Court directions not to carry any construction activity in and around ecologically sensitive hill resort of Patnitop, the illegal constructions are going at full swing at one of the most famous tourist spots of Jammu region.
Though the Apex Court as well as the J&K High Court has passed on directions from time to time not to allow any further construction in Patnitop, the governing body Patnitop Development Authority (PDA) has miserably failed to apply the directives with full throttle and rather turned a blind eye towards the matter of illegal constructions going at the world famous tourist spot.
According to the sources the illegal constructions are going on at a rapid pace in "No Construction Zone" as two structures are coming up under full public glare in and around Patnitop. It is in place to mention here that one of the illegal construction works are going on adjacent to the old Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which comes under the purview of "No Construction Zone."
On 1 February 2019 the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in an order had stated: "Pursuant to our order dated 27 December 2018, a status report stands filed i.e. Secretary to Government Tourism Department, J&K thereby informing us that 112th meeting of Forest Advisory Committee was held under the chairmanship of the J&K Chief Secretary wherein the issue of permitting the use of 0.175 hectares of Forest Land for construction of convention centre at Patnitop was taken up for consideration. The minutes of the meeting and the status report refers to the order passed in 1A No. 401 in case No. 202/1995 titled T N Godavarman versus Union of India by the Supreme Court which records the statement of the Advocate General of the state that no further construction or conversion will be permitted at Patnitop till the ecological balance has been restored, for which the State Government has been directed to take effective steps through various agencies and authorities."
The Court further directed, "The Forest Advisory Committee has proposed to file an application seeking permission of the Supreme Court to construct the Convention Centre at Patnitop."
The order as such in the same way also imply on any other construction work being taken up by the private players, however, the directions are not being adhered to by the authorities.
Sources said that according to the Court directions the area falling within the radius of 1.5 km around Patnitop has been declared as no construction zone. "Despite clear cut directions from the court the PDA is allowing illegal construction at Patnitop within the 1.5 km radius," they said.
"The PDA is meant to ensure that no violations take place in Patnitop but it is unfortunate that the Authority is facilitating illegal constructions. It has failed to implement the Master Plan for Patnitop. The Master Plan was implemented in the year 2000," sources added.
The flouting of norms under official patronage could be gauged from the fact that a Hotel with the name and style of Hotel Trinetra, Patniop owned by one Shakuntla Kotwal has indulged in illegal construction work; however, the PDA furnished false and frivolous information before the Court that the violation was compounded by J&K Special Tribunal.
But, the misinformation came to fore in a reply of J&K Special Tribunal, Jammu, dated 21-08-2019 in response to an RTI application wherein it was stated that there was no record available as desired with respect to Hotel Trinetra.
When contacted Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PDA, Pran Singh said that as per the Authority's record there is no unauthorized construction activity taking place in Patnitop area, however, he admitted that a notice was served to an owner for some construction work which came to fore a few days back. "According to our official records, there is no construction activity being taken up in Patnitop. A notice was issued to one of the owners for initiating some construction which is part of our legal process," said Singh, CEO PDA. |
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