J&K Housing Board fails to perform its primary task
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 18: Owing to administrative hiccups and slackness in removal of bottlenecks, six Housing Colonies which were planned several years back to meet housing needs of different sections of society are nowhere in sight. Due to this, the J&K Housing Board has failed to perform its primary task assigned at the time of its establishment.
The Housing Board was established under the provisions of J&K Housing Board Act, 1976 and it was entrusted with the task of providing affordable shelter to all. The Board is supposed to develop Housing Colonies in urban as well as in rural areas of the State and construct flats under self-financing schemes.
Keeping this mandate in mind, the J&K Housing Board with the due permission from the Government planned to set-up new Housing Colonies at six places in the State. However, none of the Housing Colony is nowhere in sight despite lapse of several years due to administrative hiccups and slackness in removal of bottlenecks, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
These six Housing Colonies were planned to be set-up at Thathar in Jammu, Battal Ballian in Udhampur, Meen Charkan in Samba, village Mujgund in Srinagar, Ranbirgarh in Srinagar and village Tullibal in Sopore.
As far as Housing Colony proposed to be set-up over 495 kanals of land at Thathar is concerned, the case for transfer of State land was forwarded by the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) J&K to the Administrative Department vide Letter No.FC-LS/Misc/205/2017 dated November 24, 2017. But till date no further decision has been taken as a result of no steps could be initiated by the J&K Housing Board towards setting up of Housing Colony.
Similarly, verification of objections under Section 5 and 5A of the Land Acquisition Act is still under process in respect of Housing Colony proposed to be set-up at Battal Ballian in Udhampur on over 448 kanals of land, sources informed.
About proposed Housing Colony at Meen Charkan in Samba, sources said that notification under Section 9 and 9A was issued way back in April 2013 and thereafter High Court ordered status quo on February 22, 2017 after some persons approached the judiciary over certain issues. “Since then no steps have been initiated to get the interim order of the High Court either vacated or modified”, sources said.
As far as development of Housing Colony at village Mujgund in Srinagar district is concerned, sources said that the case for declaration under Section 6, 7 and 17 of the Land Acquisition Act was sent to the concerned authorities by Housing Board vide Letter No.HB/CLA/J/5607-08 dated January 19, 2018.
Expressing inability to specify time-frame for start of work on ground, sources said, “since land acquisition is a lengthy process nobody knows when the work will actually begin on setting up of the Housing Colony at village Mujgund”.
Similarly, no time-frame can be specified for start of work on development of Housing Colony at Ranbirgarh in Srinagar as case for disposal of objections under Section 5 and 5A of the Land Acquisition Act was sent to the Government by the Housing Board vide Letter No.HB/CLA/J/661-62 dated January 15, 2018 and since then no major development has taken place, sources informed.
As far as setting up of Housing Colony at village Tullibal in Sopore is concerned, sources said, “the Housing Board had issued reminders vide Letter No.HB/CLA/345-46 dated September 1, 2017 and Letter No.HB/CLA/J/5591-92 dated January 18, 2018 for transfer of State land but no further development has taken place since then”.
“All this clearly establishes that despite lapse of several years these six Housing Colonies are nowhere in sight”, sources said, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that issue of development of Housing Colonies, which is the primary task of the Housing Board, is not being given due attention by all the concerned authorities”.
Moreover, there is no substantial progress on identification of suitable land in all the District Headquarters for development of planned Housing Colonies to provide affordable shelter to the people, sources said.
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