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| 15 years on, Anantnag continues to remain without Master Plan | | 'Will prepare it within six months' says Chief Town Planner | | SAAHIL SUHAIL
Early Times Report
ANANTNAG, Oct 22: South Kashmir's Anantnag town is witnessing unguided massive urbanization as the authorities have failed to prepare a Master Plan despite the passage of over fifteen (15) years now.
According to reports, the Anantnag Municipal Council was directed back in 2005 to prepare a 'Master Plan' for next 20 years to ensure the guided expansion and urbanization, however the organization miserably failed.
The Anantnag Municipal Council and Chief Town Planner had also drafted a master plan but surprisingly it isn't being forwarded to the government for final approval.
The absence of a master plan has encouraged Unplanned and illegal constructions in the town. The rich and influential are also undue advantage of it and managed to raise constructions of banks of nallahs and rivers in blatant violation of environmental laws.
According to sources, the officials of Anantnag Municipal Council who were supposed to ensure timely preparation of 'Anantnag Master Plan' delayed its preparation to benefit a group of businessmen.
"The Anantnag town is being turned into Urban Slum," an official, who in past had pleaded before the concerned quarters for getting Anantnag Master Plan prepared told Early Times over phone.
He claimed that the officials in Anantnag district administration and particularly at Municipal Council Anantnag never persuaded the matter seriously.
In 2018, the then government had constituted a committee for engagement of experts for preparation of Master Plan/Zonal Plans of Anantnag city.
The committee, headed by Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag, was directed to shortlist suitable candidates for engagement based upon the critical evaluation and interview of candidates, who had responded to the advertisement notification No CRPK-02 of 2017, dated 18-09-2017.
The committee, comprising Chief Town Planner as Member Secretary and CEO Municipal Committee Anantnag and Financial Advisor/Chief Accounts Officer, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir as its Members, was asked submit its recommendations within a period of one month, however off late it isn't known to anyone what committee recommended then.
Chief Executive Officer Anantnag, Municipal Council Anantnag Syed Yasir told Early Times that the government hasn't approved the Anantnag Master Plan. "We have a draft copy of the Anantnag Master Plan. Although the Government hasn't yet approved it, we are implementing it while we issue construction permission," he said.
Chief Town Planner Kashmir, Fayaz Ahmad Khan told Early Times that they will prepare the 'Anantnag Master Plan' within six months.
"We have outsourced Anantnag Master Plan preparation to consultants. They have signed the MoU and we will prepare it within six months," Khan said. |
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