‘India Habitat Centre, Smart City projects to come up’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 14: Declared unsafe by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), the old buildings and the entire large market complex at Ware House and Nehru Market in Jammu, the J&K UT Government proposes to raze all these buildings in all the four blocks and raise India Habitat Centre hub and other important projects under Jammu Smart City besides development of Tawi River Front.
The Government plans to shift Ware House/ Nehru Market to some other suitable location and rehabilitate about 210 traders/ shopkeepers at the newly identified site around Jammu City. For this, 2-3 sites have already been identified and a final decision in this regard was yet awaited. Besides shops, about 132 families residing in the Government quarters in these double-storey blocks will also be shifted to some other locations shortly.
Sharing details, official sources told the ‘Excelsior’ that initially, two blocks were declared unsafe during 2012. On September 11, 2015, the Jammu Development Authority after fresh evaluation had forwarded report to the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu regarding unsafe building structures at Ware House and Nehru Market area behind Asia Hotel and adjoining old RTO office, expressing concern over the safety of the occupants there. The Committee also identified 72 Government quarters allotted to Government employees and to some Kashmiri migrants there.
On Sept 29, 2016, the Vice Chairman JDA wrote to the Deputy Director, Estates department Jammu and Director Estates to get all the Government quarters vacated for the safety of the occupants. But due to the delaying tactics, the occupants continued to live in these unsafe structures. Moreover, the shopkeepers also did not vacate their shops/business establishments since long as they were demanding some alternative site for the same.
The JDA, again on Sept 28, 2022 published public notices in several Jammu news papers including Daily Excelsior for wider publicity, seeking vacation of the unsafe buildings by the occupants including Government/ retired employees and the traders/ shopkeepers. Hardy a week ago, caution notices on four notice boards at different locations at Ware House/ Nehru Market were displayed by the JDA asking occupants to vacate these unsafe structures without any more delay.
Sources further revealed that if these people do not comply with the orders of the Vice Chairman, JDA then the occupants will be forcibly removed from these unsafe buildings with the help of police. These buildings have lived more than 65-70 years of life. At one portion there are old go-downs of FCI/ Food & Supplies department. Many buildings have developed cracks and portion of ceiling of several structures also found broken during assessment/ evaluation exercise.
“The Government proposes to construct India Habitat Centre at one portion of the vacated land while some portion could be utilized to accomplish other important projects under Jammu Smart City and Tawi River Front development for creating various facilities for the visitors/people,” the sources added.
Nehru Market happens to be J&K’s biggest Ware House having firms serving the region since 1950s, when the buildings were first raised. The three buildings located in the market have 72 quarters and over 54 shops which were constructed in early 1950s.
The occupants, however, alleged that these buildings have remained victim of neglect and poor maintenance by the Estates department and the JDA. They alleged that for the last over 30 years no maintenance work was carried out by the JDA or Estates department. Their occupants have been demanding that they must be shifted to a safer place with proper accommodation.
A senior officer of JDA claimed that these buildings were declared unsafe for living and for carrying out trading activity in 2012-13 after conducting the assessment through Public Works (R&B) Department which had notified that the JDA buildings had outlived their utility and structural stability. Though some occupants left the buildings after JDA put up warning boards, still more than 55 families live in them and scores of other people run businesses there.
Deepak Gupta, president Ware House/ Nehru Market Traders Association, when contacted, said if the JDA wants to dismantle these old buildings, they should device some mechanism and provide suitable alternative site for their proper rehabilitation at some nearby place. There is question of livelihood of many families including traders and those working there, he added.
“It is the biggest Ware House of Jammu and Kashmir which has been supplying essential commodities and other goods to the twin provinces even to the Ladakh since 1960-62,” Gupta added.
“Government cannot escape from its responsibility by putting up warning sign boards only. They have to ensure security to the flat dwellers and also care for the livelihood of the traders and shopkeepers,” he asserted.
Gupta urged the Government to relocate residents to safe accommodations and build temporary shops for the traders to carry out their regular work in some nearby area before dismantling these buildings. He said the traders have been paying rent to the JDA to the tune of Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 per month and even more for a shop since decades. The JDA hiked / revised rent many times as well. Now, it is their responsibility to rehabilitate them, he added.
Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority, Pankaj Mangotra said this process was actually commenced during 2012. Notices were served to the occupants time to time and even JDA wrote to the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Director Estates J&K for it.
“For wider publicity, notices in several news papers were also published. Recently, the JDA raised four boards and displayed notices there issuing warnings to vacate unsafe quarters/ structures. All the four blocks have to be cleared. The people must respond to the appeal of the Government,” Mangotra said.
“It is my humble submission to the occupants that it is highly unsafe to live in these structures. It is time they must shift from that place. It is urged to both shopkeepers as well as families not to put their lives at risk. It is more important than carrying any economic activity there,” Mangotra added.
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