Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 28: Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has launched a massive campaign in and around Jammu city to flush out the unauthorised occupants from the JDA property and identify the loopholes in the allotments and recovery of rents.
A high level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Rajesh Kumar Shavan, Vice Chairman JDA wherein it has been decided to inventories all the property and get all cases re-assessed for recovery of rent.
In a statement, VC JDA said that in order to give a tough signal, the JDA has started evicting the encroachers and so far around 250 illegal khokhas, structures and other structures have been got removed from ISBT and Transport Nagar at Narwal. He said that the recovery of rent is being monitored closely and the Tehsildars have been directed to take stringent action against the defaulters.
As a sequel to it, one of the famous restaurant “Smokin Joes” at Bahu Plaza which owed more than Rs 45 lakh towards JDA as rent has been sealed and action for the recovery initiated under Law Revenue Act. It is important to mention that the restaurant is owned by one Bikramjit Singh Sehgal which has been rented out to him in the year 2005 by the JDA. However, there stood an amount of Rs 44,78,067 as rent and the owner of restaurant was not depositing it despite repeated notices by the JDA. In order to delay the payment he would always dispute the calculation made by JDA and case deferred.
However after getting the complaint, the JDA decided to get the recovery proceeding initiated against him and the premises of restaurant was sealed by Farooq Khan Tehsildar JDA assisted by Chief Khilafwarzi Officer and a thick contingent of police provided by the concerned SHO and SDPO.
Meanwhile, VC JDA has also initiated an enquiry into the illegal possession of around 400 one room tenements (Vambay quarters) at Khanpur Nagrota wherein there are reports that people have encroached the quarters built by JDA and are not paying any rent. Some outsiders from other States have also illegally settled in these quarters and the JDA has remained silent and not taken timely action under one or the other pretext.
VC said that who-so-ever will be found to have maintained criminal silence on this issue will be dealt under rules and matter will be taken up with Government for regular departmental enquiries also.
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