*Encroachments on forest land next target
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 5: The sealing of illegal commercial and residential structures, which has become bone of the contention between judiciary and legislature after the enactment of J&K Civic Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2014, today begun in the holy town of Katra under the latest directions of the Division Bench of the High Court.
During the daylong operation carried out by the district administration through Katra Development Authority and Municipal Committee, 28 under construction commercial structures, which are covered by the exception created by the Section 5 of the Civic Laws (Special Provisions) Act, were sealed in different parts of the holy town.
The Section 5 of the Civic Laws (Special Provisions) Act states that the provisions of the Act shall not apply to the buildings or structures which had not been completed on the date of commencement of this Act or which are currently under construction besides the buildings or structures not complying with the directions with respect to safety norms issued by the Government from time to time.
The Government, which had stopped sealing of the illegal structures under this Act, was taken aback on April 1 when the Division Bench of the High Court issued directions for complying with the directions in respect of those structures, which are not covered by the exception created by Section 5.
In order to implement these directions of the High Court, District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, yesterday issued necessary orders for sealing of all the 28 under construction structures, which fall within the jurisdiction of Katra Development Authority and Municipal Committee.
Today teams of KDA and Municipal Committee started sealing operation this morning amidst huge deployment of police personnel. However, there was no resistance from the people and the daylong sealing exercise completed peacefully. Even Magistrates were deployed for passing necessary orders in the event of any resistance from the public.
As far as illegal structures, which fall in the jurisdiction of Katra Development Authority, are concerned, the work on all the 17 under-construction buildings and shops had already been stopped for being executed without permission or being in violation of the Master Plan or any other Rules/Regulations.
The sealed under construction structures are commercial building owned by Abdul Karim Wani, son of Ghulam Ahmad, hotel owned by Bansi Lal Sharma, son of Hari Krishan Sharma of Kundrori, commercial building of Raj Paul Singh, son of Capt Sewa Singh and Surinder Singh, son of Malik Singh, building belonging to Swami Girdhar Paramhans Ashram, commercial building of Mohan Singh, son of Gulab Singh of Kundrorian, hotel of Sunil Jain, son of Subash Chander Jain of Gandhi Nagar, commercial buildings of Sourabh Thapa, son of Jagjit Raj Thapa and Avtar Sethi, son of Guruvakhash Singh Sethi of Jammu, shops belonging to Sanjay Kumar, son of Brhmsaroop, commercial building of Kuldeep Kumar Kohli, son of C R Kohli, shops/store of Chhotu Ram, son of Bansi Lal of Katra, shops of Deepak Kumar, son of Som Nath Dubey of Kundrorian, building/shops constructed by Punit Jain, son of Subash Chander Jain of Gandhi Nagar, structure of Sourabh Sharma, son of Tirath Ram of Kundrorian, commercial building/shop of Vinod Kumar Jain, son of Kasturi Lal Jain of Gandhi Nagar and shops of Varinder Kapoor and Babloo.
The structures, which fall within the jurisdiction of Municipal Committee Katra and were sealed, belong to Sat Paul, son of Shiv Ram, Prem Nath, son of Heera Lal, Sham Sunder Kesar, Lucky, son of Kunj Ram, Om Parkash, son of Krishan Lal, Madan Padha, son of Atma Ram, Tilak Raj, son of Yashpal, Shashi Bhushan, son of Bharat Bhushan, Anil Kumar, son of Daulat Ram. A hotel of Tourism Department and commercial structure of Pankaj Kumar and Rohit Kumar, sons of Ashok Kumar were sealed on February 6, 2014 as per the directions issued by the Division Bench of High Court on December 31, 2013.
According to the official sources, encroachment on the forest land along the Domail-Katra road would be next target of the district administration. In the status report filed in the High Court, the concerned authorities have identified 17 persons, who have encroached upon the forest land and action against them would be taken within next few days.
It is pertinent to mention here that notices to 70 persons have also been issued by the district administration to ascertain violation of Section 13 of the Agrarian Reforms Act. The structures owned by these persons are also covered by the provisions of the Section 5 of the Act as Deputy Commissioner Reasi had issued an order dated May 29, 2013 banning all such constructions where permission under Section 13 of the Agrarian Reforms Act has not been obtained.
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