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| Tata Indicom among 50 major defaulters on By-pass | | SMC shuts eyes to largescale violation of master plan in Srinagar | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 19: Proud of its unique regard to ethics, Tatas have given an all new interpretation to their fundamental code in Kashmir as one of the companies of the group has established a major facility in Srinagar inside a structure that has been raised in total violation of master plan and without No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from different government departments. This has been identified by Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) as one among 50 major violations on the National Highway By-pass in the summer capital.
Highly placed sources in the state government revealed to Early Times that a Srinagar-based businessman had applied for raising and running a ‘guesthouse’ for the purpose of tourism promotion three years ago. However, being a violation to the master plan, which has reserved this area strictly for non-commercial purpose, different departments did not issue NOCs and consequently the applicant failed to get permission from SMC’s BOCA.
Even as the businessman could not get permission, he raised a major 3-story concrete complex few yards from the Bypass and did not maintain distance as stipulated for authorized structures on the highway. In addition to establishing show-rooms, service centres and other business offices of a major automobile company at Hyderpora, the businessman roped in Tata Teleservices operators who set up Tata Indicom’s master control facility on the premises with expenditure of over Rs 3.50 cr on it. A Tata official is said to have taken extraordinary personal interest in setting up the facility at this complex as he has been notoriously in league with certain SMC authorities on behalf of the owner of the complex.
Sources said that Tata Indicom’s J&K Chief Operating Officer (COO) submitted fake and fraudulent documents to his corporate headquarters with the false certificate that the building owner had lawfully obtained permission from the authorities. Sources in Ministry of Housing & Urban Development revealed that involvement of top SMC mandarins has been established and legal action was being initiated in the matter not only against the building owner but also the companies who have established their offices in the unauthorized complex.
Officials in Tata Indicom, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that their J&K COO had brought disrepute to Tata Group by setting up facility at an unauthorized building. They, however, said that due to the building owner’s failure to get necessary permission from BOCA for a commercial facility, Tata Indicom decided to set up a makeshift facility at Chhanapora.
According to these sources, nearly 50 of such major defaulters, who have violated norms and master plan, have been identified on either side of the By-pass from Nowgam to Shalteng.
SDA Vice Chairman, Syed Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, claimed to have no knowledge of the violation done by Tata Indicom in league with the building owner and SMC authorities, but he admitted that Government had taken extremely serious note of largescale violation of master plan in Srinagar. He said that a high-level committee had, lately, identified and mapped all unauthorized structures in the capital city. “Hyderpora Bypass area is strictly reserved for residential purpose. There is no question of condoning such violations as it would be viewed as undue and objectionable favour to businessmen and owners of commercial premises”, he said.
Yet another SDA official said that there was no justification to raising such commercial complexes, particularly those which have come up in total violation of master plan and building operation rules after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government’s much-hyped demolition drive in the last five years.
Residents of Hyderpora sounded pessimistic. “There is no question of dismantling these illegal structures. Officers and new Ministers will only blackmail the owners and become silent after taking money from them. They know that there is no accountability in the system”, said Ghulam Mohammad Lone, a schoolteacher.
Sources revealed that SMC officials, particularly Chief Khilafwarzi Officer, was hand-in-glove with owners and operators of commercial complexes who were enjoying one or the other political clout but still paying huge amounts of money to the authorities. They said that a Jammu-based politician-businessman was currently raising the 5th floor of his under-construction shopping mall at Barbarshah. Taking undue advantage of an old flour mill close to his site, this businessman had managed to get permission to construction of a 4-storeyed commercial complex in the area reserved for residential purpose. In full view of public and the authorities, he is now raising the 5th floor without any permission from BOCA.
According to these sources, it had become a modus operandi for the SMC authorities and the businessmen to raise unauthorized structures and condone the same later with the payment of small fines.
Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Tufail Matoo, and Mayor of Srinagar, Salman Ali Sagar, were continuously found either switched off or not reachable.
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