*Planning Deptt sleeping over requests for corpus funds
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 20: Established several decades back, the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board has failed to achieve the objective behind its creation because of its own slackness and lack of vision coupled with non-cooperation from different quarters including District Development Commissioners and authorities of Planning and Development Department, who have been sleeping over requests for identification of land and release of corpus funds.
The J&K Housing Board was established under the provisions of J&K Housing Board Act, 1976 in order to ensure development of housing colonies in urban as well as rural areas of the State; construction of flats under self-financing schemes; construction of commercial centres in different housing colonies and execution of deposit works for various Government departments etc.
However, the Board’s focus always remained on execution of deposit works for various other Government departments instead of meeting the primary objective of development of housing colonies in urban as well as in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir to meet the housing needs of the people, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
This can be gauged from the fact that for establishment of housing colonies the Housing Board’s primary requirement is land bank but this aspect was never given serious thought by all those who remained at the helm of affairs in this wing, which is under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department, sources further said.
“Moreover, not much vigor was shown by the Housing Board as well as other concerned agencies in ensuring timely construction of housing colonies on the land, which was identified for the purpose several years back”, they said while pointing towards the fate of three proposed housing colonies.
As far as development of housing colony at Batal Ballian in Udhampur district is concerned, sources said, “the case for issuance of notification under Section 6 and 7 for the land measuring 1173.15 kanals is still under process despite lapse of considerable period of time”.
Similar is the fate of proposed housing colony at Thathar. For this colony, State land measuring 495 kanals and 19 marlas was identified several years back but on ground no activity could be carried out till date because of lengthy procedural formalities. “The revenue papers have been prepared for further submission to higher authorities and nobody knows when all the required formalities will reach the logical conclusion”, sources said.
About housing colony at Meencharkan, sources said that declaration under Section 6, 7 and 17 of Land Acquisition Act for 3227 kanals and 16 marlas was issued by the Government vide communication No.17-RD of 2013 dated April 9, 2013. Even notification under Section 9 and 9-A was issued but entire proceedings were stayed by the High Court in different writ petitions. However, no serious effort has so far been made to get the stay vacated and the fate of the colony is hanging in balance, sources informed.
According to the sources, in order to develop planned housing colonies at the district headquarters in the first instance to provide affordable shelter to the residents of the State, the J&K Housing Board had requested all the Deputy Commissioners to identify the land preferably State land in consultation with local representatives. However, despite lapse of more than three years none of the Deputy Commissioner has identified the land.
In the absence of State land for establishment of housing colonies, the Housing and Urban Development Department had requested the Planning and Development Department for release of corpus funds to enable the J&K Housing Board to acquire private land for which requisition/indent was also placed with various Deputy Commissioners.
However, no funds have been released for the purpose so far, sources informed while stating that because of its own slackness and non-seriousness and lack of cooperation from the Deputy Commissioners as well as Planning and Development Department, the J&K Housing Board has failed to meet the objective behind its creation several decades back.
“What to talk of new colonies, the J&K Housing Board has also failed to provide all basic amenities even in the already established colonies”, sources said while referring to various difficulties being faced by the inhabitants of Housing Board’s Channi Himmat colony.
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