Srinagar, Sep 16: Notwithstanding the claims of Srinagar Municipal Corporation that illegal constructions were being demolished in the City, the SMC has been allowing some influential people construction of illegal structures, mainly commercial complexes, in violation of building permission norms.
 Sources said SMC’s failure to keep check on construction of illegal commercial buildings could have a drastic impact on Srinagar’s Master Plan, which is presently under revamp.
 It is feared that by the time Master Plan is revamped, too little would be left for scope of correction as huge buildings may have taken over land meant for other purposes.

THE VIOLATIONS
 The violations are not happening in isolated cases but very much under the nose of government. Sample this: In residential Sonawar area, a commercial complex is coming up barely a few hundred meters away from the residence of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
 Here the commercial complex is being constructed against the building permission for a residential house in the rear of the private nursing home.
 Official documents reveal that even though the senior officials of the SMC were apprized about the wrongdoing, no action was taken against the violator because he happens to “well connected in the corridors of power.”
 “Despite repeated correspondence from the ground staff that the applicant had violated the norms, the issue was deliberately skirted,” said a source.
 Now instead of taking action, the SMC is likely to further benefit the “influential medico.” He is understood to have approached the civic body with a fresh application that his permission be converted into commercial.
 “Given his influence he is likely to be given the permission soon and this way his misdeed of having undertaken commercial construction will get legalized,” said an insider privy to the “deal”.
 Besides several commercial complexes are coming up in Soura area including Nammath, a wide road which leads to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s constituency.
 “Sufarish” allegedly rules so much in the SMC that an IAS officer is undertaking construction next to his south City house without any building permission.

COMMERCIAL DIFFERENCE
 Observers said identifying a upcoming commercial structure was easy because the same is constructed in grid of concrete columns and pillars whereas residential houses are simple brick-and-cement structures.
 But the SMC people seem to be finding it difficult to distinguish between the two.

THE ‘EYEWASH’
 In the past few weeks, a particular structure in Nowpora area of Shaher-e-Khaas has been demolished at least thrice while news reports in this regard were also issued.
 “This was done to give an impression that several illegal constructions were being brought down everyday but the fact remains that only this particular building was targeted all the times,” said a source.
 The particular violator is believed to have been targeted because he did not have good relations with a local MLA.
 However some commercial complexes are coming up, or are being repaired in the nearby Ikhwan Chowk area that too without requisite building permission.
 A similar demolition took place in Kursu Raj Bagh area some days back when a structure was razed t ground.
 The locals said a politician from the ruling government happened to see the building being constructed by some “supporter of out of power party.”
 “The Mantri got annoyed and our building was demolished whereas several other buildings violations in the area go unchecked,” the locals said.
 In Parimpora area, several residential houses are coming up in violation of norms, the sources said.

BOTTOMLINE
 The violations are feared to drastically affect the ongoing Master Plan revamp. Experts said the civic body needs to shed creating “hype of undertaking demolitions when influential people are being allowed to undertake illegal constructions.”
(To be concluded)

THE CONCRETE POINTS

*The violations are not happening in isolated cases but very much under the nose of government. In residential Sonawar area, a commercial complex is coming up barely a few hundred meters away from the residence of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.

*Even though identifying upcoming commercial structure is easy because the same is constructed in grid of concrete columns and pillars unlike residential houses made in brick-and-cement, SMC staffers presumably fail to distinguish between the two.

*Illegal structures are being demolished but only of those who are not well connected in the ruling corridors of power.

*SMC’s failure to keep check on construction of illegal commercial buildings could have a drastic impact on Srinagar’s Master Plan, which is presently under revamp.
(Input sources)

Lastupdate on : Sun, 16 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 16 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST