Jammu Development Authority

Jammu Development Authority, which is popularly known as JDA is again in the headlines with regard to its notice to former Dy. C.M and Speaker of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Mr. Nirmal Singh. Though it is now very late but anyhow can be said a welcome step being taken by JDA. On the other hand, this action and notice of JDA has raised several questions which demand a rational answer from JDA authorities. Where this authority has been till now and at the time when the foundations were laid for the construction of such a palatial house by Mr. Singh? The so-called ‘Illegally constructed’ house for the dismantling of which a notice has been served upon Mr. Singh was not constructed overnight; it must have taken months if not years, so what till now the agency responsible to check the unauthorized constructions has been doing? Why was this not checked and stopped at the time when the foundation was being laid? Above all is this the only illegal construction in Jammu? Just have a round of the city and outer areas of the city which are directly under the responsibility of JDA one will find several structures illegally constructed, many of them on the encroached land. Just have a look on the Janipur to Bantalab road several structures during the last couple of years have come on the government of public land. A short tour on the road linking Bantalab road with Akhnoor road via Rajinder Nagar-Swaran Vihar will relate a long tale of encroachment of government land and illegal constructions on the northern side of the road. Not only on this road there are several colonies and where government and public land has been encroached. If one drives from Chinore chowk to Bantalab just few meters away from Chinore chowk a long stretch of public and government land on the right bank of the road has been and still is being encroached by the land mafia but JDA is either sleeping or not interested or as alleged by some locals is in hand and glove with the encroachers. JDA must come clear on all these matters and must tell the masses that the agency is as clear as it is now with regard to Mr. Singh’s house.