BJP MLA halts drive
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: A demolition drive by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) in Chak Avtara area along the Ring Road in Bishnah was halted today after BJP MLA Rajeev Kumar Bhagat intervened, even as the authority maintained that more than 15 illegal structures had already been razed during the operation.
According to locals, a JDA enforcement team, accompanied by police and CRPF personnel, reached the area in the early hours around 4 AM and began demolishing residential and commercial structures using heavy machinery.
Residents alleged that some of the structures targeted in the drive had court stay orders, and claimed that shops, sheds and portions of residential properties were brought down without adequate consideration. Click here to watch video
The situation escalated when the MLA reached the site around 5:45 AM and confronted the officials, questioning the demolition of structures reportedly under legal protection and asking why such constructions were allowed to come up in the first place if they were on Government land.
He also raised the issue of non-implementation of the Jammu Master Plan, saying it could have provided an opportunity for regularization of properties in which locals had invested significant amounts.
The MLA further said that residents were already under stress after losing land for the Ring Road project on the promise of development and employment opportunities, which, he alleged, had not materialized.
Following continued resistance by the MLA, affected persons and his supporters, the JDA team halted the drive and withdrew from the spot.
Meanwhile, JDA, in an official statement, said that over 15 unauthorized structures in Bishnah town were demolished for violating approved land use norms and building regulations.
The authority stated that prior notices had been served to the violators as per due legal procedure and adequate time was given for compliance. A JDA official said the constructions were found to be unsafe and encroaching upon critical areas, posing risks to life and property.
The demolition was carried out by the Enforcement Wing with assistance from the local administration and law enforcement agencies, ensuring no untoward incident occurred.
Reiterating its commitment to planned urban development, JDA warned that similar action against illegal constructions will continue in future without exception.
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