Mayor asks people to remove encroachments on their own

Mayor Jammu, Rajinder Sharma addressing a press conference on Thursday.
Mayor Jammu, Rajinder Sharma addressing a press conference on Thursday.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 5: Mayor Jammu, Rajinder Sharma today said that district administration while launching the encroachment drive in Jammu city were supposed to take the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) into confidence as everyone should have been given a chance to be heard.

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At a press conference here, along with chairpersons of the Standing Committees and councilors, Mayor informed that High Court of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh passed a judgment in the case titled Jammu Municipal Corporation Vs Mohd. Nadeem and Anr. in OWP No. 298/2011 (O&M) that Government of Union Territory of J&K, in general, and the petitioner-authority, in particular, shall ensure that no structure of any kind is allowed/ permitted to be raised on public road, street, pathway, lane etc. which is part and parcel of the public property and belongs to the UT.
The Court further observed that “If any such structure is erected or re-erected in last five years, the same shall be removed forthwith,” he said.
“If any encroachment is made on roads, pathways, streets or lanes in future, the Deputy Commissioners and Superint-endents of Police of that area shall be responsible for the same”, the Court further observed.
Mayor said office of the District Magistrate Jammu issued a schedule of anti- encroachment drive to carry out anti-encroachment drives on public roads, pathways, streets, lane etc. without taking into confidence, the authorities of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC).
He said that district administration should have taken JMC into confidence before removing the encroachments as everyone should be given chance to be heard first.
Mayor however appealed to all Jammuites to remove encroachments if any at their own in compliance to the High Court orders. He also announced that he himself along with chairpersons of the Standing Committees and councilors toured the city areas and made an appeal to the Jammuites for removal of encroachments at their own to avoid unnecessary harassment.
Mayor said in the afternoon he started an awareness tour from Dogra Chowk for removal of encroachments and visited a number of areas including Jewel, Gumat Bazar, Gurudwara Sunder Singh road, Raghunath Bazar, Hari Market, City Chowk, Purani Mandi , Kanak Mandi, Lakhdata Bazar, Jain Bazar, Chowk Chabutra, Panjtirthi, Pacca Danga and Parade and appealed to people to remove encroachments on their own.
The citizens and shopkeepers welcomed the initiative taken by Mayor which is first of its kind and appreciated the move taken by him for awareness. They said all assured and his team that they will definitely cooperate with the JMC for removal of encroachments.