JAMMU: Citing “promotion” of culture, the then BJP-PDP government in most arbitrary and without application of mind has allotted a vast piece of prime public land worth crores free of cost to Balwant Thakur, Director Natrang.
The decision for allotment of prime land measuring 4.37 kanal located at village Deeli (marble market) to Thakur was taken by Board of Directors (BoD) of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) in its 74th meeting under agenda No 74.06 held on June, 06, 2015 under the Chairmanship of former Deputy Chief Minister of J&K Prof. Nirmal Singh.
Former Dy CM Prof. Nirmal Singh was holding charge of Housing and Urban Development Department during PDP-BJP coalition government in the erstwhile state of J&K and surprisingly both the parties remained staunch critics of National Conference and Congress regimes in state for favouring influential persons with jobs and allotment of prime lands through backdoor channels.
Awarded with Padamshree, Balwant Thakur is a noted theatre and drama artist and is currently India’s Cultural Ambassador to Mauritius and also remained Director, Cultural Academy, J&K.
Terming this entire exercise as an act of high level of favouritism and nepotism, prominent lawyer and PIL activist Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmad said “JDA is a custodian of public land and cannot allot land located in the heart of city worth crores free of cost to any individual organization for the development of infrastructure for promotion of cultural activities”.
Jammu is blessed with many talented artists and theatre groups and the government must clear the criteria, clause and policy under which only Natrang group was picked for allotment of public land, avers Ahmad. “Hinting at Prof. Nirmal Singh who accorded approval to allotment of prime land to Natrang group as Chairman JDA, Ahmad further asserts “Its dubious standard to practice same things for which one while in opposition used to criticize the then NC/,Cong regimes”
“Neither any criteria nor transparency was followed in allotment of prime land to Thakur for construction of a theatre campus”, Ahmad added.
What is the dire need to favour only one organization for construction of a theater for promotion of culture when there is already Kala Kendra and Anhinav Theatre in Jammu and top of its several artists of National and International repute working in the same direction with zeal and enthusiasm, Ahmad said adding “Will JDA allot land to all of them on the pattern of Balwant Thakur ?”.
As per letter No JDA/L.S/1178 dated 8/7/2015, the land measuring 4.37 kanal falling under Khasra No 781 at village Deeli was allotted to Natrang for 40 years on lease free of cost and the MoU was signed between JDA and Natrang, Jammu on 20/07/2015.
Interestingly, three years post execution of MoU, Natrang Director, Balwant Thakur, vide its letter No NJ/6271/18 dated 12/11/2018 approached the JDA again for allotment of land at Channi Rama in lieu of earlier allotted land at Deeli.
Promptly, the JDA BoDs again allotted 6.3 kanal land falling under Khasra No 90 min 9(New) at Revenue Village Channi Rama.
The title as well as the legal position of land allotted to Natrang group at Deeli is clear then why still he is running for larger and precious piece of land for construction of Theater for promotion of cultural activities in the “interest of public welfare” is intriguing, said an officer of H&UDD, J&K preferring anonymity.
The land use of allotted patch at Channi Rama is residential as per JMP-2032 and may create nuisance for surrounding residents of the area, officer added.
For such cultural centre, the suitable location should be somewhere at Bajalta, Sidhara, Jagti or Thandi Khui instead of overcrowded city jostling for space to breathe, added a senior officer of JDA.