25 new towns approved under AMRUT 2.0 for GIS-based Master Plans
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Feb 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Government today informed the Legislative Assembly that 1,425 illegal structures, including 1,194 residential and 231 commercial, have been demolished in 13 districts of the region by different authorities since October 2024.
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The House was also informed that while Master Plans for the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, along with Udhampur and Katra, have already been notified, 25 new towns have been approved under AMRUT 2.0 for GIS-based Master Plans.
Replying to a starred question of PDP MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Minister-in-Charge for the Housing & Urban Development Department, said a maximum of 1,133 illegal structures, including 1,014 residential and 119 commercial, have been demolished in Srinagar district, followed by 237 such structures razed in Jammu district, including 162 residential and 75 commercial.
As far as the agency-wise breakup of demolitions is concerned, of the 1,014 residential structures demolished in Srinagar district, the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has demolished the highest number, 615 structures, followed by 394 by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and 5 by the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA).
Similarly, of the total 119 commercial structures demolished in Srinagar district, the SMC has demolished the highest number, 100 illegal structures, followed by 17 by the LCMA and 2 by the SDA.
In Jammu district, out of the total 162 residential structures demolished, the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has razed the highest number, 155, followed by 6 by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and 1 by the Revenue Department.
As far as the demolished commercial structures are concerned, the JDA has demolished the highest number, 61 structures, followed by 12 by the JMC and 2 by the Revenue Department.
In Kathua district, 7 illegal residential structures have been demolished by the Tehsildar concerned, while in Udhampur, a total of 3 illegal structures, including 1 residential and 2 commercial, have been demolished by the Tehsildar concerned.
Similarly, in Ramban district, a total of 19 illegal structures, including 4 residential and 15 commercial, have been demolished by the National Highway Authority of India, while in Anantnag, 10 commercial structures have been demolished by the Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority.
In Baramulla, only 1 illegal commercial structure has been demolished on the directions of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while in Budgam, 2 commercial structures have been razed by the Tehsildar, Beerwah.
In Kupwara district, only 1 commercial structure has been demolished by the Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, and in Shopian, the Tehsildar, Chitragam, has demolished 4 illegal structures, including 2 residential and as many commercial structures.
While 3 illegal residential structures have been demolished on the directions of the High Court in Ganderbal, 2 illegal commercial structures have been demolished in Bandipora by the Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, and 3 illegal structures, including 1 residential and 2 commercial, have been demolished by the Urban Local Bodies in Kulgam district.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that encroachments are regularly removed as per the provisions of the JK Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988, and other relevant laws.
“Any unauthorised construction is dealt with under rules as per the provisions of the Control of Building Operations (COBO) Act, 1988. This is done on a regular basis by way of serving notices and conducting sealing and anti-encroachment/demolition drives,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that adequate time is accorded to the violator or encroacher as per the relevant sections of the JK Public Premises Act and the COBO Act.
On the reasons for permitting construction of such structures in the first place, he said, “No such structure is permitted without proper permission.”
“However, in some cases, due to legal intervention, lack of timely assistance by police, construction at odd hours, and deviation from approved plans, delays occur, due to which the offender succeeds in raising construction to the next level,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, in response to another starred question of National Conference MLA Javid Riyaz Bedar, the Chief Minister informed the Legislative Assembly that the Master Plans for the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, along with Udhampur and Katra towns, have already been notified.
He further said that under AMRUT 2.0, 25 more towns, including Pattan, have been approved for the formulation of GIS-based Master Plans.
“The work in respect of these towns is at different stages,” the Chief Minister said.
He further said that the work for the formulation of the Master Plan of Pattan has been awarded to the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Bhopal.
An agreement in this regard was executed on September 10, 2025, with a completion timeline of 6 months, he said.
The Chief Minister also informed the House that the local area plan for Pattan has been finalised and the work is presently in progress.
“Besides this, Master Plans for major tourism development authorities in the Union Territory, including Patnitop, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg, have already been formulated and notified,” he said, adding that these plans are currently under implementation to ensure planned development, infrastructure upgradation and systematic beautification of the tourist destinations.
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