Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 9: In what could be the testimony of Government’s half-hearted approach towards the issues concerning the common masses, no headway has been made on the regularization of unauthorized colonies in twin capital cities of the State despite framing of three committees of officers during the past over one year. This has made amply clear that the main motive of the Government behind framing one after another committee is to bury the vital issues once for all.
After the issue of regularization of unauthorized colonies in Jammu as well as in Srinagar cities figured several times in the Cabinet meetings and on the floor of the State Legislature, the Government vide Order No.1035-GAD of 2012 dated September 21, 2012 constituted a committee comprising Chief Secretary,
Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Planning, Housing and Urban Development, Revenue and Law Departments besides the Vice-Chairmen of Srinagar Development Authority and Jammu Development Authority and Managing Director Housing Board.
The mandate of the committee was to examine the issue and prepare a broader policy vis-à-vis mode and extent of regularization of unauthorized colonies within the areas under the jurisdiction of JDA, SDA and Housing Board in twin capital cities.
However, the committee didn’t met for several months and in the month of May this year, the Housing and Urban Development Department constituted two sub-committees vide Order No.181-HUD of 2013 dated May 27, 2013 with the mandate as that of main committee headed by Chief Secretary.
The committees headed by Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department and comprising Vice-Chairmen of JDA, SDA, Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations and Directors of Urban Local Bodies were directed to submit the report within a period of one month so that the proposal could be submitted to the committee headed by Chief Secretary.
“Though the sub-committees failed to meet the deadline of one month yet they managed to accomplish the task and submitted report recommending regularization of total 22 unauthorized colonies—21 in Jammu and one in Srinagar”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
In the meantime, some legislators highlighted concerns in respect of leftover areas of these colonies and finally it was decided that the survey of leftover areas would be conducted by Srinagar and Jammu Development Authorities and Municipal Corporations in consultation with the legislators as such a data was imperative to work out any policy for regularization. However, nothing has been heard about the further progress on the issue since then, sources said.
Interestingly, the main committee headed by Chief Secretary to which the sub-committees submitted the recommendations has not convened even one meeting ever since its constitution in September 2012, sources informed. “It is a mockery of the system that despite framing three committees with the same mandate no significant headway has been made on the issue during the past over one year”, sources regretted.
“It is pity that on one side Government is laying thrust on planned development and on the other side it has not shown any required interest in the regularization of unauthorized colonies”, they said, adding “delay in regularization of these colonies is resulting into their continuous expansion in the most unplanned manner”.
Not only regularization of unauthorized colonies would ensure proper developmental activities in these areas the step will also generate revenue for the Government in the form of development charges, sources said, adding “the fate of three committees with the similar mandate has amply made it clear that Government believes in burying the public issues by framing one after another committee”.
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