Concerns are being raised in Ward No. 71, Sidhra, after local residents alleged that a residential building approved by the Jammu Municipal Corporation for domestic use is being altered for possible commercial purposes in violation of sanctioned building norms.
According to aggrieved residents of the locality, an iron shutter was installed at the ground floor of the building during the night, triggering suspicion that the structure may be converted into a commercial unit.
Locals further claimed that the owner had recently removed an internal partition wall on the ground floor before the shutter was fitted, changing the appearance of what was originally approved as a residential property.
Municipal sources said the property owner, identified in official records as Jagdev Singh, had been granted stage-wise building permission vide Order No. BP/ORDER/JMC/2025/6543 dated 26-09-2025 for construction of a G+2 residential structure.
Residents allege that the recent structural changes are inconsistent with the approved plan and could amount to unauthorized deviation from the sanctioned permission.
Several residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the development has revived concerns over weak monitoring of building activity in the area. They alleged that if such alterations are allowed to continue unchecked, questions may arise over whether field enforcement staff are adequately monitoring violations that fall within their jurisdiction.
Locals also expressed concern that unauthorized commercial activity in predominantly residential pockets has already increased traffic congestion, parking problems and inconvenience for nearby households in parts of Sidhra, and warned that any further unchecked conversion could worsen civic difficulties.
Some residents further alleged that certain buildings in the area are increasingly being constructed as residential units on paper and later modified for commercial use, as obtaining permission for commercial construction involves stricter scrutiny and higher charges. However, these claims could not be independently verified.
Repeated attempts were made to seek a response from Sanjay Badyal, DC (North), Enforcement Wing of the Jammu Municipal Corporation, but calls made by JKGN remained unanswered.
However, officials in the Enforcement Wing, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incidence of illegal construction had declined significantly under the present JMC Commissioner and maintained that there was no scope for leniency towards BOCA violators, adding that the matter would be examined strictly in accordance with building regulations.