*Satellite Township, housing colonies, commercial projects approved
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 19: In a major initiative for expansion of Jammu city, the Jammu Development Authority is going to develop an Integrated Smart Satellite Township for a population of about 50 thousand along ring road at Bhalwal. The decision to develop the satellite township was taken in a meeting of the Board of Directors of the JDA under the chairmanship of Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Housing & Urban Development Department. It may be recalled a similar township has been decided to be developed by the J&K Housing Board.
The proposed township will be a completely self-sufficient state-of-the-art satellite town with all modern infrastructure and amenities, including for commercial and institutional usage, and will also provide livelihood opportunities for its residents within the township. It will be for the first time in last three decades that the JDA will take up development of a housing colony of this scale in Jammu. The proposed township will fully take care of the expansion needs of Jammu city.
The Board further approved the revamping of drainage, road, water supply and power distribution infrastructure in under developed housing colonies of JDA viz Udheywala, Gole Gujral, Birpur, Kot Bhawal and Roop Nagar sector 6 with an estimated expenditure of Rs 66 crores which will touch the lives of population of more than ten thousand residents in these colonies. Grant of alternate plots to the allottees of Roop Nagar housing colony sector 6 (new) in other sectors of the same colony, who could not be handed over possession because of long legal disputes, was also approved by the Board.
Vice Chairman JDA, Pankaj Magotra presented a detailed agenda including the action taken on the decisions of the previous meeting before the Board for discussion covering several issues pertaining to the functioning of the JDA and new initiatives for the development of the urban infrastructure in Jammu city.
The Board was apprised by VC JDA that top real estates consultants of the country like KPMG, Knight Franks Ernst and Young, CBRE, JLL have been empanelled as Transaction Advisors by JDA for the upcoming major infrastructure development project to be taken up in PPP mode which include Mass Flatted Housing Projects in Birpur, Samba for the construction of nearly 1200 housing units, development of prime commercial space in Rail Head Complex, development of Eco-resort and city forest at Sidhra, Redevelopment of Kalka Colony near Bahu fort, redevelopment of old Bus Stand Jammu, IT Tower near Fourth Tawi Bridge, Jammu.
The Board considered and approved various proposals for allotment of JDA land to Govt departments, paramilitary forces and other non-government entities as per the approved policy. This also included allotment of nearly 150 kanals land in Bhalwal to J&K Housing Board for the development of flatted accommodation for Economical Weaker Section (EWS) and construction of Demonstration Housing Project in association with the Central Govt Employees Welfare Housing Organistation (CGEWFO).
The Board constituted a committee headed by DC Jammu for evaluating the online applications received for more than 200 EWS flats proposed to develop by JDA so that only the rightful beneficiaries avail the benefits of this housing project. The Board also directed VC JDA to identify land for the development of a housing colonies for different sections of the society. Approval was also accorded for the constitution of the new finance committee and establishment committee for considering and settling the financial and employees related issues concerning JDA.
The Board advised Vice Chairman, JDA to personally monitor, actively pursue and secure the disposal of long pending legal cases involving JDA land and to sternly deal with the encroachers of JDA land. The Annual Audited Accounts of the JDA for the year 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 were also adopted by the Board.
The Board approved the construction of the 100 feet Tribute Wall with 100 feet height national flag in the Maharaja hari Singh Ji park for the commemoration of freedom fighters as part of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations. The Tribute Wall will be one of its kind of the country with names of freedom fighters carved in granite stone with a QR Code which will carry the stories of freedom fighters. The Iconic Tribute Wall will create awareness about nearly 1000 freedom fighters and instil spirit of patriotism among the current and coming generations, besides, promoting national integration and an added attraction for visitors/tourists to the park
Chairman, JDA Dheeraj Gupta concluded the meeting by advising that JDA should endeavour to speedily develop modern and affordable housing to meet burgeoning housing demand of all sections of society and to play a pivotal role in ushering in a new phase of infrastructure development in Jammu on the lines of most modern cities of India.
Those present at the meeting also included Commissioner Secretary to Government Forest Ecology & Environment Department, Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner, Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Avny Lavasa, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation, Rahul Yadav, Chief Town Planner Jammu, Anil Raina, Chief Architect Jammu, Harinder Arora and DG Accounts & Treasuries, Shadi Lal Pandita among other members of the Board.
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