The saga of the Narwal Fruit and Vegetable Market in Jammu is not just another tale of bureaucratic inertia-it is a glaring testament to how red tape and administrative apathy can grind livelihoods to a halt. Over 15 years have passed since the JDA handed over the market infrastructure to the Horticulture (Planning & Marketing) Department on an “as is, where is” basis. Yet, dozens of shopkeepers continue to languish without possession of their allotted shops. For some, the wait has extended to an appalling 30 years. In any rational governance structure, the interdepartmental transfer of assets should be a streamlined process-especially when livelihoods are at stake. But here, the buck-passing between departments has created a logjam that remains unresolved. The JDA admitted in court that shop allotments made before the handover were valid. The Horticulture Department, in turn, accepted responsibility. And yet, nothing has moved-not even an inch. The files continue to circle departments while shopkeepers run from one office to another, from one court hearing to the next, without reprieve.
Adding insult to injury, lease renewals for existing allottees are caught in the same bureaucratic muddle. Without clarity or action, traders cannot renew bank limits or avail financial support-their credibility and capital eroding with time. This is not merely a matter of administrative oversight but a humanitarian issue now, affecting the sustenance of hundreds of families. The officials themselves seem powerless-or worse, indifferent. When the Director of Horticulture (Planning and Marketing) states that the matter is out of his jurisdiction, it starkly highlights the vacuum of accountability. No one appears in control; no one is driving the resolution forward.
What is the point of legal affirmations if they translate into no real action on the ground? Justice delayed here is not just denied-it is actively destroying livelihoods. The Government must stop treating this as a routine file-shifting exercise and act decisively. It must honour its own commitments and ensure immediate possession and lease regularisation for shopkeepers. This prolonged impasse has already extracted too high a price. For the sake of justice, dignity, and economic survival, the Government must intervene.
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