JAMMU: The authorities have set in motion action under laws against 47 unauthorized colonies which mushroomed in a span of 3 years mostly in areas which have been kept reserved as open spaces in the land use plan of Jammu Master Plan-2032 in the jurisdiction of Jammu Development Authority.
These new illegal colonies were not established in and around Jammu city by Chirag of Aladin. Evidently, these residential colonies were carved out during the last 3 years by fiddling with land titles, ruthless grounding of hills, unlawful cutting of trees besides encroaching state lands, water bodies, khads and nallahs with impunity in an organized manner by influential land mafia and shady colonizers who generally acts as proxies of handful corrupt police officers, politicians and bureaucrats, alleged reliable sources in administration.
“The government should handover the probe to CID to find out names of those beneficiaries in whose favor the farad/registration of plots in the listed illegal colonies were issued so far as there are allegations that a handful of Journalists, police, politicians, bureaucrats, a section officials/officers of Revenue, JDA, forest, JMC, PHE, PWD, UEED and PDD department were favored with huge chunk of plots as gifts for their benevolent services in development of these 47 Illegal colonies without seeking necessary approval from the government” added a senior officer of Revenue Dept wishing anonymity.
Except few concerned departments officers as beneficiaries, development of illegal colonies is a proof of existence of shady colonizers-officers nexus which results in loss of development fees worth several crores to the state exchequer.
Worth to mention, prior to sale of plots in new residential colonies, the colonizers need to seek compulsory permission from the authorities which grants approval against receipt of development fees after fulfillment of NoCs from allied departments and ensuring all the norms laid down in J&K Development Act, 1970 are fulfilled.
Sources in JDA, reveals “Apart from putting in public domain the list of newly developed illegal residential colonies, the authorities have issued notices under Control of Building Operation Act to all the developers of these colonies which will be followed by demolition and sealing operation”.
“Considering the dynamics which works behind these illegal colonies besides quantum of influence land mafia and colonizers enjoys in administration, the entire exercise of the JDA seems to be devoid of direction and teeth until the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu directs cancellation of all farads/mutation and imposed ban on fresh issuance of farad/mutation and registration process for sale of plots in the identified illegal colonies” avers an officer of JDA wishing anonymity.
Besides, the Govt fix responsibility on Chowkidars Girdawars and Patwaris of Revenue Department who were hand in glove with land grabbers and colonizers and remained silent spectators when irrigation land on such massive scale was being converted into commercial with subsequent unprecedented issuance of farad to plot buyers on large scale. Lodging FIRs against colonizers is inevitable part Govt crackdown on new illegal colonies, he added.
In addition, the administration needs to ascertain the role of concerned Tehsildars of JDA and BOCA team members who remained mute spectators for almost 3 years over the mushrooming of illegal colonies in blatant violation of J&K Development Act, 1970, further added the sources.
The new illegal colonies have been identified and its list is available for public on JDA website. But still, the authorities have neither placed warning boards in respective colonies nor the state administration have launched drive to retrieve huge chunk of state land which the land grabbers have encroached upon and included it in these illegal colonies lay out plans, he added.
Claiming strict action against illegal colonies as envisages under law, JDA Vice Chairman, Pankaj Magotra said “Gone are the days when land mafia and developers used to established colonies sans approval from authorities. Post my arrival in JDA much has changed and more is in offing for ensuring accountability and transparency in the working. Going forward, whosoever is high have to face the music of law for venturing into unlawful construction activities in JDA jurisdiction, he added.