Who allows haphazard construction in Bandipora town?

Suhail Rather

Bandipora, Jan 03: The major challenge that Bandipora administration is facing in contemporary times is the growing urbanization, exponential growth of private cars, shrinking roads, traffic mess and irregular constructions

          While the district planners are finding solutions to these contemporary urban issues, proposing construction of bypasses, parking slots, road widening etc but  on ground the administration is doing opposite to it-allowing haphazard construction in violation of rules.

          On one hand the Bandipora town is choked in absence of a parking slot, the administration is conveniently allowing construction of shopping complexes and malls in violation of town rules.

          From the past few years dozens of new shopping complexes have come up in the town and none of the shopping complexes has a reserved parking slot. Locals question who is allowing this construction and why no lessons are being learnt? 

Questions are being raised on the efficiency of the officers who failed to provide a road map till now and failed to  extend the master plan drafted by Prime Minister of erstwhile J&K state Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad in early 1963 after a devastating fire in the town.

          These illegal constructions are taking place right under the nose of Municipal Council authorities, according to details available with this reporter.

          The shopping complexes have become a major hurdle in smooth flow of traffic as customers park their vehicles on roads choking further the already choked roads.

In the main town many shopping complexes are constructed without parking spaces thus creating a nuisance in the traffic system.

          This haphazard construction is not restricted to town only, In rural areas along the Bandipora-Srinagar highway and Bandipora-Sopore highway, a large number of concrete monsters have come up that, according to experts, will  prove disastrous in future.

 The shopping complexes in Khadim Market, Mini-secretariat road, Gousia market, Plan, Onagam, Onagam, Papchan, Nadihal, Watpora, patushai are all constructed in brazen violation of  town plan.

“The result of authorities being mute spectators is today clearly visible when we take a look at the town, which has been defaced to an inconceivable level,” locals said.

          The visitors to these shopping complexes park their vehicles on the main road thereby causing frequent traffic jams and unnecessary inconvenience to general public.

          Sources said that officials in the BMC granted permission to allow violators to take full advantage of the inefficiency of the authorities who fail to implement building permission rules.

 The illegal constructions that have come up during the last three year and brazen violations of other building construction rules are inevitably pointing the finger towards the authorities, who kept their eyes shut to this large scale nuisance, for reasons best known to them.

Locals suspect that these permission holders, who have bent building permission rules and repeatedly evade accountability and vigil by the authorities might have bribed the particular officers  due to which they violated the rules with impunity.

They said the permissions are being granted for construction of commercial complexes in residential areas in violation of the rules and Municipal council conveniently teach them the ways to violate the rules “Permission Is granted for construction of a residential building but on ground a commercial building comes up,” locals said.

“The MCB officials concerned first grant building permission for residential houses which are subsequently converted into multistory commercial buildings as the MCB officials in connivance with owners and brokers bent the permission rules and changed dimensions of the approved drawing plan”.

Despite repeated notices and objections by the department in these areas against the commercial constructions and the owners, no action was taken.

          Locals appeal Lieutenant Governor Administration to constitute a high level committee that shall find out who allowed this illegal construction and fix responsibility besides providing a master plan for preserving the town plan that was drafted in early 60’d by the then prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.

          A senior official in District administration while talking to Kashmir Convener said they are akin to this issue and are equally concerned. “The heads will roll. We will find out and fix responsibility. No one will be spared”.

          He said recently District Development Commissioner Bandipora, Dr Owais Ahmad convened a meeting of officers , stakeholders, public representatives and  senior citizens for the preparation of GIS based Master Plan for Bandipora town.

  According to the official spokesperson, DC Bandipora said, Urban planning is the process of developing and designing open land, urban areas, and the built environment and is a multi-faceted process involving building of infrastructure, utility systems, communication networks, distribution chains among others.

Dr Owais while emphasizing upon the significance of  Geographical Information system technology, said that the same is needed  for  holistic, Comprehensive, sustainable and balanced development of the Town.

      He took appraisal of the plan formulation of the various departments like Jal Shakti, R& B and Municipal Council and other stakeholders for preparing a modest and well planned Development Model  for the Town.

       He has also asked officers to work in close coordination and prepare plans of their respective departments after proper consultation with the inhabitants of the Town.