Glaring Disconnect between policy & practice results in chaotic development of JamMU’S outskirt AREAS. Mushrooming unlawful constructionS has reduced JDA’s commitment to planned development a piped dream. Without accountability, transparency, technology-driven monitoring system—using GIS mapping, satellite imagery, and time-bound enforcement—the Master Plan risks becoming a paper TIGER.
The Jammu Development Authority (JDA), the statutory body entrusted with enforcing land use regulation and planned development in Jammu’s peri-urban area, has come under mounting criticism for its inability to check the relentless surge of illegal constructions and unauthorized colonies in its jurisdiction.
Terming repeated warnings, periodic demolition and anti-encroachment drives as theatrics, meaningful critics and citizens say the Authority’s efforts have been piecemeal and largely ineffective in stemming the tide of violations that continue to undermine the region’s urban planning goals.
“Despite repeated media exposures, public outcry and visible violations of land use and building regulations, the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) stands accused of abject failure in curbing rampant illegal construction in critical outskirt localities like Jagti and Karnail Chak”, says Rajeshwar Singh, a prominent social activist and critic.
Residents of Nagrota allege that unchecked building activity is now transforming planned zones into a cluster of chaotic unauthorized concrete buildings and illegal colonies—a direct threat to planned urban expansion, environment and the rule of law.
In recent weeks, locals in Jagti have shared visuals and reports alleging that construction activities continued hassle-free without any effective enforcement from the JDA, even though these structures lack approved plans or change-of-land-use permissions. Alleging collusion of enforcement staff deployed in the area, the locals complain, “Against hapless, the JDA acts swiftly at initial stage, whereas it remains a mute spectator towards the majority of commercial buildings where influential violator conveniently raised illegal structures starting from plinth level to slab stage, consuming months.”
Without nexus, how come a newly constructed illegal commercial structure at Jagti behind Zamindra, which JDA claimed has been sealed is still used for business activities, questioned, a local preferring anonymity.
Hinting at a scam, reliable sources in JDA alleged that scores of buildings that once issued notices and sealed in official records are running business establishments in Jagti and Nagrota areas.
“Scores of illegal buildings that were constructed without permission in JDA’s jurisdiction have also been compounded for setback and FAR violations”, alleged an official of JDA, confiding anonymity.
As an exception rather than norms, only minor violations, in case of approved building plans, are permitted for fines. In rule books, there is no provision for regularization of buildings raised illegally in contravention of COBO, Act 1988, says an officer of Town Planning.
Citizens claim that the problem is worsened by bureaucratic inertia and inconsistent enforcement on the ground, which is visibly evident from the delay tactics allegedly employed in issuance of notices to influential violators.
Across the tehsil in Karnail Chak, residents and observers say the situation has been no less troubling. Reports from earlier in the year indicated that illegal colonies and construction activities were flourishing, with a majority of these buildings underway without JDA-approved plans or mandatory permissions. This undesired practice is still flourishing in the area. Local criticism focused on the JDA’s prolonged silence and lack of decisive action to halt these illegal constructions at inception stage.
Critics argue that sporadic notice issuance and sealing exercises have been largely reactive and insufficient compared to the scale of violations. While the JDA has carried out anti-encroachment operations in several areas, retrieving land and demolishing structures, such actions appear piecemeal and disconnected from a sustained strategy to prevent illegal developments in the first place.
Urban planners and civic activists warn that continued laxity will deepen the crisis of unplanned urban sprawl, strain infrastructure, and weaken environmental safeguards in Jammu’s rapidly expanding outskirts. They also highlight that violations of master plan regulations—such as those now visible in Jagti and Karnail Chak—can undermine decades of planning work designed to ensure sustainable growth.
Local residents have called for urgent intervention by the Chief Minister office, the District Administration, and judicial oversight to check proliferation of illegal colonies in JDA’s jurisdiction and enforce building bylaws and master plan provisions strictly and transparently.
They demanded fixing accountability of Enforcement Inspectors deployed in Karnail Chak, Nagrota and Bajalta areas for large scale construction of illegal buildings.
Vice-Chairman of the JDA, Rupesh Kumar, couldn’t reach out for clarification on the issue. However, DLM asserted that the authorities have taken cognizance of every unauthorized illegal construction undertaken by willful violators in Phallian Mandal (Karnail Chak), Jagti, and Nagrota. Notices have been issued, which will proceed to sealing.
Further denying compounding of set back violations in buildings raised without seeking building permision, DLM said, “If anyone is found indulging in delayed issuance of notice, the concerned will be taken to task for dereliction of duty.”