Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 18: While more than half of the parking area of the Jogi Gate Cremation Ground at the bank of river Tawi has been encroached upon by some influential people with the active connivance of a few Government officials, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) authorities have added to the woes of those who go there for attending funerals by creating mess at the parking area.
For the last more than five years now, the District Administration and especially the JMC Commissioner and even the local legislators from Jammu East and West, have least bothered to pay attention towards the most important public utility area during funeral processions. The Jammu Ministers also literally failed to realize the importance of creating good parking space there for the public convenience.
The then State Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had taken personal initiative to create a beautiful park and foot- path along river Tawi for morning walkers and a large parking slot for the people of Jammu who attend funerals of the dead at Jogi Gate. It was felt that due to massive parking of cars and other vehicles along the Circular Road near Jogi Gate during performance of last rites of the dead, often traffic jams were being created on this stretch. For this reason, this site was identified by the then visionary Chief Minister despite the fact that he belonged to the other community. The work was also started on this project during his regime but unfortunately no much progress was witnessed at the site.
The work was initiated by Jammu Development Authority and UEED at the site. Some area at the river bed was also raised and concrete bund was erected to enlarge the parking space. But the work was abandoned and the parking spot was not completed till today. Several vehicle washing centres/ workshops have come up at the site besides some shops and the parking areas has reportedly been grabbed in planned way with the active connivance of some key field JDA and JMC employees. Due to the vested interests of some people the development of the area has been stalled. The digging work has been left half way. The fresh boundary walls raised over night by some land grabbers are immediately white washed to hide their mischief. There is no body to keep check on this land grabbing activity as the people who should protect this land area are said to be encouraging this activity for their vested interests.
This area has become the dumping ground for the damaged and broken garbage-bins of Jammu Municipal Corporation and UEED/ NDCC’s large cement pipes. The main passage to the broken and encroached parking area has been blocked by the JMC garbage bins. Huge area has been covered by cement pipes all along the space meant for parking, large dug ditches have been left unattended. Heaps of debris and stones have scattered all over and only a little ‘kutcha’ and virtual ‘khud’ like area is left for the Jammu public to park their vehicles/ cars when they attend funerals at Jogi Gate. The senior officials of the JMC and even in the District Administration have also turned a blind eye towards the plight of the city people over this issue. In the absence of sufficient parking area, the people are forced to park their vehicles on the road causing traffic jams.
Now, with the sudden digging of road near Raghunath temple and Residency road, the agency has added woes to the public. The traffic is diverted to Raghunath Bazar and even Kanak Mandi but due to massive idle parking in these markets, the flow of traffic has been stalled and the public is suffering. These tubes remain choked. Neither traffic officers nor those in the district administration are bothered over the public plight. Entire foot path area at Maheshpura Chowk, in front of main Govt Medical College Gate has been encroached upon but authorities have turned insensitive to the public cause. Idle parking of vehicles and even the huge and old fashioned traffic booths at several important city points and crossings have become cause of accidents in the city.
Joint Commissioner JMC Kapil Sharma when contacted claimed that there is Mechanical workshop of the JMC near cremation ground. The wear and tear of the city garbage bins is ongoing exercise. The old and damaged bins are brought there for the repair and then lifted. Some inspection work was also going on and for that purpose in bulk these bins were lying. But when this process is over, these bins will be lifted. Mr Sharma further claimed that JDA was involved in the parking project and JMC was not involved at all. He however, said that work was stalled due to some dispute but the JDA and UEED would complete the same.
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