Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 7: Chairman Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra today reconstituted the House Committee to look into illegal constructions and violations of building laws across the State.
Malhotra said that illegal constructions and violation of Master Plan in Srinagar was a serious issue and has to be fought from the Government side.
“It is our (members of the House) responsibility as a whole to look into the issue and address it. There is no Government planning to address it and Government follows a lopsided approach,” he said after the Council witnessed noisy scenes while Minister for Urban Development Nawang Rigzin Jora was replying to a written question of PDP member Mohammad Ashraf Mir.
Jora in his reply said that 297 violations have taken place in Srinagar Master Plan including in Srinagar Municipal Corporation, and Srinagar Development Authority.
He said that official machinery was also responsible for allowing these violations. “It is true that some of the officials are hand in glove with the encroachers and violators of the laws in constructing these buildings,” the minister said. He also said that over 1, 400 cases of violations have been stayed by the court.
The Minister further said the Building Operation Act has not been disbanded and the Municipal Corporations, Development Authorities and Urban Local bodies of the state are empowered to issue building permission under control of Building Operation Act (BOCCA) 1988.
Jora said that an online application mechanism for granting of building permission has been started in the Municipal Corporations of Jammu and Kashmir to ensure speedy disposal of various cases.
Giving figures about the amount collected as revenue from BOCCA permissions, Jora said that Rs. 22.05 crore has been received as revenue for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 by the municipal bodies for granting of building permissions.
National Conference member Ghulam Qadir Pardesi said that illegal constructions have created havoc in Srinagar as violation of Master Plan galore in the city under the nose of authorities.
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