Phallian Mandal has become a hub of polarized human settlement on encroached state land, with illegal constructions allegedly carried out in collusion with some JDA officials reaching alarming proportions. It is a matter of investigation to determine the circumstances that prevented the listing of some illegal colonies on JDA’s website, as well as turning Nelson’s attention to illegal constructions on a large scale within these colonies.
JAMMU: Emboldened by the government’s failure to act decisively against unscrupulous colonizers and land mafia, the chunk of land located between two streams of River Tawi in Phallian Mandal has become a hub of alarming unlawful constructions and imbalanced human settlement. This area falls under the jurisdiction of the Jammu Development Authority and designated as open space in the land use plan of the Jammu Master Plan-2032.
Majority of these constructions without approved plan permission from JDA are currently underway inside unnamed illegal colony at Karnail Chak (Chak Lalu Shah) and Gulstan Colony (Javed Nagar) in Phallian Mandal area, where influential and affluent persons from Kashmir are parking their money as investment on plots which are available for sale on just Rs 10 affidavit. The JDA has been accused of allegedly remaining silent on BOCA violation in these two colonies.
The land use as per JMP-2032 of GPS coordinates 32.71,74.82 classified as River and Nallah.Jammu Master Plan -2032 shows the Land use of colony in Karnail Chak as Water buffer body and Urban Agriculture.
Insiders in Revenue department said, “According to records, the type of land on which this colony exists is classified as a non-cultivable water body, specifically Ghairmumkin Tawi.” Major portions of these two illegal colonies gained prominence following the diversion of the River Tawi’s flow and the simultaneous construction of a large protection wall costing several hundred crores during the Cong-NC coalition government (2009 to 2015). Origination from Nagrota and ending at Phallian Mandal, this wall serves as a boon for organized land mafia, sources added.
It is interesting to note that following a relentless campaign by JK Global News in 2022 against mushrooming of illegal colonies, besides unauthorized constructions in rural areas of Jammu and loss of revenue on account of CLU and building permission fees, the JDA vide Notice No JDA/CA-60 dated 22/2/2022 has published lists of illegal colonies on its website.
Surprisingly, the lists mentioned about six unauthorized colonies in Phallian Mandal, which include one in Kirpalpur Charkan with coordinates 32.4157,74.4856 (owner Nitin) and five in Nandani with coordinates 32.4226,74.4909 (owner Taj Din), 32.703693, 32.703693,74.811778 (owner Vijay Kumar), 32.703696, 32.703696,74.811783 (owner Deepa), 32.70708,74.819333 (unknown) and 32.705926,74.817186 (unknown).
However, the JDA authorities for reasons best known to them, preferably did not include two illegal colonies that existed in Karnail Chak (Chak Lalu Shah) with coordinates 32.71207916, 74.82376924 (unnamed colony) and Gulstan colony (32.718027, 74.841693) in the list of unauthorized colonies on its website. These are the same colonies where large-scale unauthorized constructions right under the nose of Khilafwarzi inspector Ramesh Kumar have become the talk of thetown.
Massive development activities in illegal colony at Karnail Chak.
“Even if these colonies exist on encroached state land within JDA’s jurisdiction, the JDA supposed to notify the same on its website and proceed against every single unlawful construction undertaken by violators in these colonies under BOCO Act 1998 and J&K Building Bye Laws-2021″, reveal an officer of JDA preferring anonymity.
For the purpose of development of local planning area, entire Phallian Mandal area has been classified as open space as per section 11 of J&K Development Act 1970. Moreover, as per Jammu Master Plan -2032, the land use status of these colonies in Karnail Chak having GPS coordinates 32.71207916, 74.82376924, is shown as water body buffer and urban agriculture. However, massive developmental activities in contravention of Development Act 1979 as well as COBO Act 1998 are going on in a hassle-free manner, which deserves investigation to ascertain role of Khilafwarzi inspector namely Romesh Kumar allegedly for patronizing large-scale unlawful constructions in these colonies, says a local of the area.
Blaming nexus of land mafia, police, JDA and revenue officials, the locals of Phallian Mandal alleged that except for the unapproved Baba Colony, the plots in Gulstan Colony (Javed Nagar), Taj Colony and Friends Colony are sold on just a Rs 10 affidavit as the land either belongs to JDA or the state and slowly entire area in a well-planned manner is rapidly being established on the pattern of Bhathindi. Silence of crusader against land jihad towards Phallian Mandal is also questionable, quips another villager.
These under-construction illegal palatial structures, including commercial and religious on state land itself exposed collusion of violators with the enforcement staff of JDA and other agencies. “These colonies are not developed in a jiffy. In fact, a lobby of influential land grabbers, at the behest of some serving and retired police officers, bureaucrats, and politicians, is profiting by managing the sale of plots and construction activities on state land in a hassle-free manner while mocking multiple enforcement agencies—police, JDA and the revenue department,” says a police officer preferring anonymity.
As per locals, there were previously negligible construction activities along the bank of the Tawi River in Phallian Mandal. Since 2019, there has been a proliferation of colonies and unauthorized constructions that contravene the law on both encroached state and private land. Those selling plots also assure buyers of hassle-free constructions without interference from any concerned agencies merely by spending money ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
Ironically, the JDA’s repeated tall claims of stern action against illegal colonies vis-à-vis pursuing construction activities sans CLU certificate and layout approval, besides approved building permissions, prove hollow in Phallian Mandal. Even the silence of police to act appropriately under law against land grabbers in Phallian mandal clearly shows that down line directions of higher-ups are not being taken seriously.
