*No accountability for undermining authority of Legislature
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 18: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that in Jammu and Kashmir legislators complete their term but their recommendations made to different Government departments that too on the directions of State Legislature remain unheard mainly because of non-seriousness on the part of officialdom. Moreover, there is no mechanism to fix the responsibility for undermining the authority of this supreme body.
According to the information available with EXCELSIOR, the Committee on Estimates of 11th Legislative Assembly in its 44th report tabled on the floor of State Legislature on February 24, 2014 had brought to the fore its observations vis-à-vis functioning of some key departments of the State. Moreover, it had made numerous recommendations for strict compliance by the heads of these departments so as to improve the working and meet the aspirations of the people.
One of the important departments whose functioning was deliberated upon by a group of 11 Members of Legislative Assembly and two of Legislative Council was Housing and Urban Development, which has the mandate to frame policies, plans and schemes for the growth of urban areas and to provide civic amenities in urban areas.
Though all the members of this Committee completed their term in November-December 2014 when election for the present Assembly were held, yet their recommendations made to the Housing and Urban Development Depart-ment have remained unheard till date thereby rendering the exercise conducted by the Committee on Estimates of 11th Legislative Assembly by making use of tax-payers’ money as unfruitful.
Most shocking aspect is that none of the officers of the Housing and Urban Develop-ment Department, who earlier facilitated the Committee in analyzing the functioning of the department but then dumped its recommendations in the official files, has been punished till date despite blatant act of under-mining the authority of State Legislature.
According to the sources privy to the directions of the Committee on Estimates of 11th Legislative Assembly, the panel had directed the Housing and Urban Development Department to identify and take action in accordance with the law against the officials responsible for facilitating the glaring violations of Srinagar/Jammu Master Plans and to ensure that such violations were not repeated in future.
“What to talk of identifying the officials who had played role in violation of Master Plans in the capital cities of the State, the Housing and Urban Development Department has even failed to control such violations at present”, sources said, adding “the non-seriousness of the department towards checking violation of Master Plans can be gauged from the fact that the applicability of Jammu and Kashmir Civic Laws (Special Provisions) Act is being extended after regular intervals although the basic ground behind enactment of this law for short duration was to formulate a comprehensive policy to deal with the violations that have already taken place and chalk out future strategy”.
Similarly, the Committee had directed the department to build multi-level and small parking lots in both the capital cities to get rid of traffic mess especially in densely populated areas and markets. However, despite lapse of more than two and half years the department has conceived plans about only two multi-level parking lots in Jammu city—one at General Bus Stand and another at Panjtirthi but there is no plan about more parking lots, which are in dire need keeping in view the ever-increasing traffic chaos.
Moreover, the panel had directed for immediate steps for demarcation of the State land in urban areas and fencing the same to avoid encroachments. “Neither demarcation nor fencing has been started by the department till date thereby rendering the State land vulnerable to encroachments”, sources pointed out, adding “the department has also failed to create land bank in the State under the direct control of the J&K Housing Board for utilization to develop new colonies and create basic facilities for the people”.
Regularization of unauthorized colonies in the twin capital cities in order to provide basic amenities, widening of congested roads, removal of bottlenecks by way of regular clearance of footpaths of the encroachments, ensuring proper coordination among various agencies working in the urban areas for execution of various developmental works were among other important directions of the Committee, sources said.
“However, there is no serious follow-up on these recommendations till date”, sources said, adding “what to talk of initiating steps towards implementation of those directions which involve financial implications even regular clearance of footpaths of the encroachments has yet not become reality in either of the capital city”.
Keeping in view seismic factor and shortage of land within the cities, the Committee had directed for vertical construction instead of horizontal constructions but this vital aspect has yet not picked up the momentum till date because of lack of seriousness, sources said, adding “in the absence of land bank the proposal of vertical expansion through J&K Housing Board has failed to become reality in almost all those areas which were identified for implementation of this concept”.
All this clearly establishes that key recommendations of the Committee on Estimates for the year 2013-14 have remained un-implemented till date.
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