By Arfat Khan
Jammu: The corporators seems to have virtually hijacked the executive functioning of Jammu Municipal Corporation.
If insiders are to believed, there are number of instances wherein some owners in connivance with corporators have convert residential area into commercial besides raising residential structures bypassing mandatory permission from the municipal authority.
Such illegal constructions going on unabated in Gandhinagar Nagar, Prem Nagar and Gujjar Nagar.
As per reliable inputs, owner of House No 256 -A situated behind Apsara lane Gandhinagar resorts to unauthorised construction without any approved site plan from JMC. The name of local corporator is doing the rounds behind this unauthorised construction.
Another three floor structure was raised at 365 A Gandhi Nagar without seeking any requisite permission.
In a similar manner, a huge commercial building above Bismillah Hotel is under construction just adjoining the slaughter house in Gujjar Nagar. This three floor unauthorised commercial structure is allegedly being shielded by none other than the corporator.
The local corporator who also owns a bussines of building materials flex muscle whenever the concerned staff of enforcement tried to stop this illegal construction, said an officer of enforcement wing preferring anonymity.
It’s has become a lucrative job for some corporator to shield illegal constructions in their areas for the reasons best to them said one enforcement inspector of JMC.
In a oath, the corporators pledges their allegiance to keep intact the healthy working of local self government. But the way some corporators are encouraging illegal constructions in the municipal limit is not only damaging the spirit of local self government but also causing huge financial loss to the JMC, added another officer preferring anonymity.
When contacted Gandhi Nagar Corporator Bhanu Mahajan and Gujjar Nagar Corporator Moidin Choudhary denied their role in illegal constructions in their areas but covertly tried best to justify these illegal constructions in lieu of unauthorised construction happened long ago. Besides, adding that these constructions belongs to the ‘poor’ people.
The learned corporators perhaps failed to convince JKGN as to how a person who afford to build a huge structure in Gandhinagar and Gujjar Nagar can qualified to be a ‘poor’ and Do ‘poors’ of Gandhinagar are exempted by Housing & Urban Development Department from seeking permission for commercial and residential constructions.