Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 13: Traders and shopkeepers here at Nai Basti area Monday staged a demonstration against the Irrigation Department for serving them with notices to evict their shops and other structures “built over the departmental land” in violation of rules.
“As per the record prepared and verified by the concerned Ziladar/Patwari of Irrigation Division II Jammu vide his office letter number Z/B/359 dated February 8, 2023, the shopkeepers in Nai Basti have encroached upon the Irrigation Land by way of constructing/raising structures which is a punishable offence under section 156 sub section (a) of the J&K Water Resources (Regulation & Management) Act 2010,” the notice served to the local shopkeepers and traders reads.
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“As such you (shopkeepers and traders) are thereby directed to remove/evict the said encroachments within seven days positively, failing which the office will be left with no other option but to initiate legal action as per the J&K Water Resources (Regulation & Management) Act 2010,” it further reads.
The agitating traders and shopkeepers however claimed that they have been running their small stalls, shops and other business establishments in the area for the past almost six decades and as such their structures must be spared from the ongoing eviction drive.
Local BJP Corporator of the area, Pawan Singh told the Excelsior: “there are over 100 shops in Nai Basti area. Some of the shopkeepers have paid the monthly arrears to the Irrigation Department and they’ve kept the receipts with them”.
“So, we should not evict them all of a sudden. I have though personally taken up this matter with the Divisional administration, Irrigation Department and Jammu Municipal Corporation.
“Our shopkeepers are of the collective opinion that this entire area must be taken over by either JMC or Irrigation Department and then these shops be allotted to those shopkeepers who have been working there since decades,” he said.
Singh also demanded that the shops in Nai Basti area be regularised by the Government for the permanent settlement of the local traders and shopkeepers.
Another trader said that despite assurance from Union Home Minister and LG administration, notices are still being served to the local traders and shopkeepers.
He also appealed the LG administration to regularise the shops in Nai Basti area.
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