Arfat Khan
Jammu: Ever increasing web of illegal hoardings spreading across the nook and corner of Jammu Municipal Corporation jurisdiction has derided tall claims of action against the defaulters.
The charge of hoarding is lying with Secretary JMC and its learnt that the concerned officer have list of identified illegal hoardings which remained static at vantage locations in the city through out the year.
Interestingly, displaying in utter violation of JMC Act with impunity these illegal hoardings apart from acting as major source of distraction for drivers on the roads is also nullifying the endeavours of authority in transforming the Jammu as ‘Smart City.’
So far, only the then secretary JMC Sunaina Mehta has dared to act strongly against the violators by demolishing the steel structures of 10 huge unauthorised advertisement hoardings which were raised around the Bloal Bridge.
Notably, while the city is flooded with small unauthorised advertisement boards, the huge illegal hoardings with permanent steel structures numbering 18 around DIC office and Tawi Bridge, 4 opposite Hotel Rivera, 1 opposite rotary in Gujjar Nagar, 8 in Gagyal, 9 along Satwari Highway, 4 around Baloal Bridge, 4 in Greater Kailash, 3 in Talab Tillo, 4 in Janipur, 6 in Gandhi Nagar, 3 on Narwal-Kunjwani Bye pass and 02 each in Shastri Nagar, Channi Himmat reflects the deep nexus between the defaulters and officials of JMC.
Though the JMC claims of strong action against the illegal hoardings, the reality is that there is no action against majority of influential violators who are hand in gloves with the JMC, alleged sources.
The smooth flourishing business of illegal hoardings having revenue potential of around 3 crore per annum and friendly approach of the authority against the same is a clear indication of fishy affairs between the duo, alleged another sources in JMC.
It has been learnt that challans are not being issued to most of the violators who have defaced the city by hanging huge and small advertisements boards in the JMC jurisdiction.
There is a provision to lodge a first information report (FIR) against a violator under the Defacement of Public Property Act, but the violators are still being spared.
Right under the nose of the JMC, thousands of illegal posters and hoardings are on display on public properties across the city.
Several illegal advertisement hoardings are visibly display on steel structures which are raised on roof of private buildings in utter violation of the municipal Act.
An official requesting anonymity said “These unauthorised advertisement hoardings keep flourishing due to soft approach of concerned officer against the violators”.
Ironically, the secretary JMC Tina Mahajan when asked about the menace of illegal hoardings she brags of huge action against the violators. But when further asked to divulge details of the locations from where such illegal advertisement hoardings were removed she was clueless about the task which is prime part of her domain.
Pertaining to the 69 illegal hoardings that exists on permanent steel structures in JMC jurisdiction with permanent impunity Tina said “after being ‘removed’ it pop up again in a night”
Factually, Tina must understand that so far the above mentioned permanent illegal hoardings have never been removed once in the history of JMC which is a stark reality belying tall claims of hollow action by the authority against the protected violators.