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| JMC action comes as relief in residential areas, marriage parties in a fix | | HC directive on closure of banquet halls | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Oct 29: The much-awaited marriage season has finally begun but only to turn 'tormenting' for some families in the winter capital of Jammu and
Kashmir .Reason:Following court directions, Municipal Corporation (JMC) has ordered
closure of all non-licensed banquet halls which were already booked by the marriage parties.The order has however brought much needed releif and respite to hundreds of households in the vicinity of which these banquet halls have been constructed.
Jammu over the last few years has suddenly seen mushroomed growth of banquet halls and marriage halls. ALmost all the localities have been flooded with such halls, even amidst the thickly populated residential areas. While these have come up in brazen violation of rules and
regulations, the marriage season would come as tormenting period for people living nearby, mainly due to the disturbances on account of noise pollution.The HC order on closure of such halls has indeed come a major relief to the residents.
Following an October 14 order of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, JMC has ordered the closure of more than 90 banquet halls that either did not have licences for operation or have violated building permission laws. Disposing off a PIL on October 14, the Divisional Bench of the J and K High Court
headed by Chief Justice Aftab H Saikia had ordered the implementation "in true
letter and spirit" of building laws under the Statutory Regulation Order (SRO) to control the haphazard growth of banquet halls in Jammu.
Explaining the action taken on the court''s order, Joint Commissioner, JMC, S C Sahni
said , "All the owners of banquet halls, who do not fulfill the requisite
formalities under SRO and building laws governing community halls under Master Plan 2021, are directed not to use premises as eating point for
functions with immediate effect".
Sahni said out of the more than 100 un-licensed and illegal banquet halls operating in Jammu city, only three have permission to operate, while some have applications pending for approval. "These halls do not have the licenses for running as eating points (banquet halls).
In case anyone violates the premises for the purpose of functions, it shall
be sealed by JMC without serving any notice," he said. As per the SRO 64 of Housing and Urban Development Ministry under Master Plan
Jammu-2021, building byelaws governing community and banquet halls have a fixed minimum requirement of construction of a banquet hall in an area of two acres with 30 per cent of the coverage area, ten meters set backs, 12 meters
height and 60 per cent green area, besides license from JMC with sanitation, power and water supply sanctions.
"This is the season of marriages and for almost the next four months these
halls get already booked. But this time we will be unable to operate in
view of the JMC order and court directions," an owner of several banquet halls
said.
"We have paid back advance money to over 19 persons who had booked halls
for weddings and tendered apologies to them," he said, adding, "this is a major loss to us and also to marriage organisers who are in the most
difficulty now over where to organise the marriage". While the legal instructions have understandably to be followed in full spirit, even if it amounts to loss to the owners of the halls, apparently for their own lapses, but in the whole picture it is the marriage parties who have to bear the brunt of these lapses. In the face of this order of closure while the owners are returning money hesistantly, the former are in a fix and dilemma where to arrange new places for functions related with marriages. Shyam Lal Koul, who is
marrying his son Arvind and daughter Sunita off on November 22, finds himself
in major trouble after the banquet hall owner returned the advance money
and cancelled the booking.
"Where will we go? Where will we hold marriage? We are in a fix," Koul said. Similar are the laments coming from other potential customers needing bookings in the halls to solemnize marriages of their wards. One of them said, “ Since the earlier tradition of holding a marriage in ones own house and then inviting relatives and friends at home or at an adjacent ground has turned obsolete”.
He also said that since a fashion has come up to book palatial banquets for conducting marriages, resorting back to earlier traditional ways might leave an embarrassing impression as they are finding themselves in a fix as to how to manage the show.
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