In a single master stroke, the District Magistrate Jammu has not only ends supremacy of indomitable land grabbers on Sidhara-Narwal bypass but also decimated the oozing points of drugs addiction and immoral activities. Feeling alarmed over the naked dance of impropriety ushered by teenagers under the influence of drugs in this booze zone, the citizens of temple’s city has ascribed the much needed action of Ms.Sushma Chauhan, IAS as ‘Jai Ho’. Kudos to impeccable strategy of three musketeers of Jammu- Ms Sushma Chauhan, Ms. Avny Lavasa and Ms. Babila Rakwal for carrying out one of the biggest sealing drive in the history against illegal commercial establishments raised upon encroached land in JMC jurisdiction.This timely intervention of administration against uncontrolled and ill planned commercial structures by encroaching upon prime state land has come as a bolt from the blue against mighty land grabbers as well as two bold n beautiful drug dealers who resides in Bhathindi and Qasim Nagar and were operating without fear of security agencies in Ragoora-Mahamayaa area.
There is no denying the fact that sealed 32 Business establishments prime facie were constructed either on state or JDA land and devoid of any approved plan from Jammu Municipal Corporation. Even, the regional officers of National Highway Authority of India also raised red flag against several illegal commercial structures which mushroomed at alarming rate along the NH -1A on Ragooraa-Mahamayaa road stretch. These encroachments were executed in a well planned manner at the behest of some Congress as well as National Conference leaders who envisage bigger corporate plan behind it. The construction of embankments worth several crores along River Tawi from Golf Course upto Mahamayaa by the then Congress Minister was done to settle colonies by encroaching upon forest and state lands. It’s surprising to see that Grand Hill restaurant was initially established on few Marlas of land now allegedly spread over several acres of adjoining encroached land. Similar is the story of building which housed “3 Good Guy” restaurant as the vast areas running into several acres behind it has been converted into workshop and yards of imported high end luxurious cars. There are alleged stake of influential police officers, bureaucrats and politicians behind these vast encroachments on prime state land.
Majority of these sealed restaurants housed Hookah Bars this the Drugs and Food Control Dept, J&K also needs to come out of their comfort zone and play its significant role to scrutinise the contents of “flavoured” “tobacco free” hookah consumed with frenzy by teenagers in hookah bars which remains the primary source of business in these sealed restaurants constructed along NH on Sidhara-Narwal Bypass. So called “tobacco free” Hookah is a pandemic which have far reaching burgeoning public health challenge especially among teenagers. Despite availability of endless recreational activities, these restaurants in contrast to the rich Dogra culture and city of temples are offering so called “tobacco free” “flavoured” hookah to teenagers as their prime product of sale without any regulations. The mushrooming Hookah- Bar, Cafe and Lounge is a tragedy in offing and the government in UT J&K needs to frame an overarching policy to plug all the existing loopholes in the current system to curb the growing menace of unregulated sale and consumption of “flavoured” hookah in teenagers. If the youth are really “missing” recreation in the city of temples then indeed Hookah is not the solution.
The LG Manoj Sinha must constitute a task force to develop world class multi recreational park on the pattern of Appu Ghar on modern lines and techniques and the vast land from Mahamaya Temple upto Golf Course is the best location for it
There is no place for Jungle Raj on Narwal-Sidhara bypass highway and these sealed establishments must be put to proper scrutiny pertaining to land titles and authorised approved plan permission from JMC. This area falls under Bagh e Bahu Police station and Police authorities too need to play its bigger role in ensuring that rule of law must visible on this stretch of road and crack the growing influence of crowd gals and drug peddlers in this zone which enjoys patronage of a Congress leader and mainly resides in Qasim Nagar and Rajiv Nagar. If there are no compulsions, the men in khakhi must show ‘Kanoon Kei Lambei Haath’ to such politicians and their favourite drug peddlers who are hell bent to destroy the teenagers and society. The law of the land is supreme and everyone equal before it.