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| Influential Srinagar doctor encroaches forest land near Pahalgam, constructs huts on it | | Fails to shift hospital to safe place, runs ‘deficient’ paramedical institute | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Feb 23: There seems to be no end to encroachment of forest land near the world famous health resorts of Kashmir and the violators of law escape the punitive action due to the laid-back attitude of the people at helm.
Sources told Early Times that in a recent case an influential doctor of Srinagar has encroached upon a huge chunk of forest land near the world famous tourist spot of Pahalgam. The doctor has been in the news in past as well and it seems that he has made it his habit of violating the laid down norms and regulations.
“The doctor has encroached upon many kanals of forest land at Gujran-Batkote near Pahalgam in the South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. He has constructed some huts on the encroached land and given them on rent as well. He is receiving the rent on account of the huts without any fail and the administration is acting as mute spectator,” said sources.
Sources said that the doctor purchased some kanals of land at Gujran-Batkote and encroached upon many other kanals of land that come under the title of forest land. Although, the forest land does not come under the proprietary land title of the purchaser, but still then he constructed huts over the same.
“The violator of the law has in total constructed eight huts on both the proprietary land and the forest land. While three huts have been built on the proprietary land, five other huts have been constructed on the forest land. The doctor has rented out all the huts and in lieu of the same he is receiving the rent,” said sources.
Sources said that the owner of the huts is a Srinagar based doctor who runs a private hospital on the Baramulla-Srinagar-Anantnag-Jammu highway at Hyderpora bye-pass. He has been in news in the past since the hospital is located near the High Transmission (HT) line and despite the repeated reminders he did not shift the hospital.
“The failure of hospital administration to shift the hospital building to a safe location is jeopardizing the lives of patients who are either admitted there or visit the hospital in connection with different matters. The doctor who owns the huts has turned out to be a part of land mafia since he has purchased dozens of kanals of land in outskirts of Srinagar and Budgam district,” said sources.
Sources said that the paramedical institute that has come up near the hospital and is owned by the owner of huts has come under radar since the facilities are not up to the mark. Despite the concerns raised by the registering authority no improvement was made at the paramedical institute with the students being the ultimate sufferers.
“The hospital building has come up in total contravention of laid down norms and regulations. The permission was given by the municipal authority for two storeyed house but the owner converted it into a hospital. Despite the change in title of permission no action was taken against the violator of law,” said sources.
Sources said that the doctor managed to grease the palms of the people manning the municipal authority from time to time and as such he managed to escape the punitive action. He also managed to bribe the successive health ministers of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir and as such managed to run away while trampling over rules and regulations. |
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