By Our Special Correspondent
JAMMU: The man made mess prevailing in the city of temples has start spreading its ugly tentacles towards the areas located along the National Highway 44 in Jammu with haphazard clusters of several illegal commercial structures sans parking facility.
This situation is more alarming along Narwal -Sidhara road especially Mahamaya-Ragoora stretch loacated at NH-1A where the ‘Law of the Land’ so far fails to make its presence felt.
These unauthorised constructions now endangering lives of motorists due to parking of vehicles along roadside on NH in this area.
“Situation is deplorable on this stretch of road with beginning of sunset, asserts Er Rehmat Ali, a resident of Sidhara Colony. It’s complete absence of law and order machinery, he added.
Pointing towards illegal parking on NH adjoining Mad Glad and Tomorrow Land Hotels, Dr Sidarath Kumar said”The violators of these illegal structures have created death trap for the motorists on this stretch of road”
On daily basis, dozens of judicial as well as high rank police and civil officers used to ferry on this road but sadly none prefer to act against this nuisance which is running rampant along the roadsides on Ragoora-Mahamaya road, added a resident of Sidhara namely Shahid Rathar.
The way cars were seen parked along roadside here only shows that Traffic Police too forget to perform it’s duty.
In addition to the notorious tag of booze and drug addiction zone, this road stretch now also witness to unprecedented construction of several single and multi level commercial complexes in sheer violation of Jammu Master Plan 2032.
These structures were not popped overnight and clearly reflects strong nexus between the violators and officials of district administration especially JDA, Forest and JMC as well as NHAI who remained mute spectators to these illegal constructions, alleged an officer of DC office Jammu.
Most of these illegal structures are raised either on encroached JDA or Forest land, alleged Nadeem Ali, a local of Ragoora.
The medians constructed by the NHAI also got broken at several places with impunity by owners of these unauthorised commercial structures, said a middle rank officer of NHAI.
Blaming the office of District Magistrate, Jammu, SSP Traffic and SSP Jammu, the Project Officer of NHAI Ajay Sawhney said” All these commercial structures on Ragoora Narwal-Sidhara road are illegal and we have apprised the Police, Traffic as well as District Magistrate for action against the nuisance created by them on NH-IA at Ragoora-Mahamayaa Road but to no avail”
It’s a serious offence to park vehicles on NH as it not only endanger lives of motorists but also foil endeavours of MoRTNH to facilitate free flow of vehicular movement on National Highway, he added.
Surprisingly, couple of structures on this road stretch manages to complete their constructions when the JKGN first highlighted these illegal buildings which were allowed to raised along roadside on NH in blatant violation of building construction laws of JMC.
Notably, the Ragoora-Mahamayaa area upto Sidhara becomes part of JMC extended ward No 71 in 2018.
The JMC can’t have two set of laws for dealing with illegal constructions in its jurisdiction, avers Sidarath. If the authorities can order sealing and demolition of unauthorised commercial complexes in several parts of the city then why soft approach is being adopted against violators who construct commercial buildings on Ragooora upto Sidhara Road, said Sudhir Gupta.
The influence of these violators can be gauged from the fact that JKGN has received several calls from civil, judicial, police and one young Corporator of congress who always known for his vocal speech in JMC Council House meeting and almost everyone tried to exert their influence for aborting campaign against this naked dance of nuisance created along roadside in Ragoora-Mahamayaa road.
The message is loud and clear -this campaign of JKGN shall taken to its logical conclusion and neither threats nor money will distract us from our tradition of highlighting issues for the betterment of society and citizens.
Meanwhile, the JMC Commissioner Avny Lavasa has taken cognisance of these unauthorised constructions and issued show cause notice to the defaulters.
(To Be Continued)