Panel of bureaucrats soft-paddling on framing uniform policy
*Different yardsticks being adopted with ulterior motives
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 16: There is no end to the favouritism and irregularities in dealing with the issues relating to plots in the housing colonies developed by the Government and its agencies in Jammu and Srinagar as a panel of bureaucrats is soft-paddling on framing of uniform policy in this regard.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that from time to time a number of housing colonies were developed by the Government and its agencies in both the capital cities to meet the housing requirement of different sections of the society.
With the passage of time, several issues vis-a-vis plots in these housing colonies started cropping up and in the absence of any uniform policy the officers posted in the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, Jammu Development Authority, Srinagar Development Authority, Jammu Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Municipal Corporation started adopting different yardsticks with ulterior motives.
“The practice of favouritism and irregularities is going on during the past quite long time and there are a number of instances where even money exchanged hands to obtain benefits illegally”, sources said, adding “the irregularities generally pertain to change of status of land from lease to free hold, building permissions, change of land use and allotment of strips to the adjoining plot holders”.
Taking serious note of this, Principal Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department Dheeraj Gupta vide Government Order No.04-JK(HUD) of 2019 dated November 11, 2019 constituted a committee of officers to frame policy for settling all pending plot related cases in the housing colonies developed by the Government and its agencies in the State.
The committee comprising of Managing Director, J&K Housing Board, Vice-Chairman, Srinagar Development Authority, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Vice-Chairman Jammu Development Authority and Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation was asked to finalize the policy for settling all pending plot related cases in the housing colonies within a period of 15 days—by November 26, 2019.
However, the panel of bureaucrats has failed to meet the deadline fixed by the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, sources said, adding “no serious-steps have so far been initiated to formulate the policy, which otherwise is imperative to bring an end to favouritism and irregularities in dealing with housing colonies’ issues”.
The issues, which were highlighted by the Principal Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department for consideration while framing policy, are allotment of un-allotted vacant plots to individuals, organizations and institutions; action on transfer/exchange of possession of plots on mutually agreed basis\agreement to sell/exchange without registration by plot holders; transfer of ownership of plots on succession; allotment of strips to the adjoining plot holders; change of status of land from lease to free hold; encroachment of land by the adjoining plot holders; possession of excess/deficit land by the plot holders; division of allotted plots; violation of building permissions; change of land use and prospective use of reclaimed lands.
When contacted, an officer of the Housing and Urban Development Department, on the condition of anonymity, admitted that no policy has so far been framed by the committee, which was assigned the task by the Principal Secretary.
“The Principal Secretary wants to bring an end to the practice of adopting different yardsticks for dealing with the issues relating to the land of the housing colonies”, he added and hoped that policy will be in place shortly.
“This is not for the first time that a panel of bureaucrats has failed to complete the assigned task within the stipulated time-frame”, sources said, adding “the Government should come up with a mechanism to ensure that committees of officers act on terms of reference within the fixed time-fame”.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
