*No proposal of Colony for media-persons: Govt
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 7: Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development and Power, Mohd Ashraf Mir today said that after construction of Channi Himmat Colony in Jammu (About 25 years back), the J&K Housing Board has not constructed any other colony in the State.
While replying to a question of Congress Member, Naresh Gupta in the Legislative Council today, Mr Mir said that due to non-availability of land, the Board could not develop any colony since long. He said the land is the big problem both in Srinagar and Jammu. When asked how, private players were getting lands and developing colonies in connivance with the top officials and others promoting land mafia, the minister could not give satisfactory reply.
Jugal Kishore from Congress alleged large scale violations by the private players developing Colonies in Jammu and asked why action was not taken by the JDA or JMC officials against them. The minister claimed that there were several complaints against the Commissioners JMC and SMC and both of them have been shifted. He, however, claimed that the Department would initiate inquiry into the matter and if any violations found action would also been taken against the officials responsible for it.
In response to another question regarding any Government proposal to development/ construct colonies for Media-persons and advocates at Jammu/ Srinagar, the PDP Minister said that there was no such proposal with the Government at present. The Cong member pressed that there was already a proposal with the JDA regarding development of Press Colony at Jammu and the Government reply was incorrect and misleading. He also pressed that the reply he has sought from the Government is incomplete and an attempt has been made to hide the things. He alleged that Government is silent on the multi-storey private building and flats constructions and his reply has not given properly. He pleaded the chairman to drop the question and list again and direct the minister to come prepared with proper reply.
As the Acting Chairman Jehangir Mir did not given give much heed to the plea of the Congress Member ( Naresh Gupta), then he lodged strong protest and came up to the Well of the House and then staged walked out. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Sayed Basharat Bukhari also tried to intervene and pacify the member.
Earlier, replying to the main question Mr Mir said that J&K Housing Board, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) are making efforts to develop planned housing colonies in the State. He said that JDA permits construction of multi-storied flats through private builders on e-tendering.
While replying to another question Mir said housing colonies and buildings are being developed under JDA include Housing Colony Birpur, Housing Colony at Kot Bhalwal, Housing Colony at Gole Gujral and Roopnagar Phase –II. The Housing Colonies and Buildings under SDA include Mega Residential Project Rakh-i-Gund Aksha and Shehjar Apartments.
The minister said the basic infrastructure in colonies will be executed by JDA through contractors of J&K after e-tendering. He said, in case of private builders, JDA issues only permission to owners of land then subsequently the owners themselves hire the engineering consultancy service for development.
For the colonies developed by JDA, Mir said that the allotments of plots are purely on the basis of draw of lots, adding that the costing of plots is done in terms of the Government order.
The minister said that in case of private builders, the Group Housing Colonies, JDA accords permissions for construction of buildings only and the houses are sold by the private builders on their own as per the market rates.
Earlier intervening, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Syed Basharat Bukhari also said that at present there is no proposal to construct said housing colonies for media-persons; however, the Government can consider the matter.
G N Monga, Jugal Kishore and Sofi Yusuf raised supplementaries to the main question.
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