Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 7: A large number of residents of Channi Himmat Housing Colony including residents of Ward No 50 and 51 today staged a protest demonstration against the alleged allotment of commercial sites and conversion of ‘Thanger nullah in to commercial site’ by the J&K Housing Board in grave violation of Jammu Master Plan.
The protest march led by prominent citizens of Channi Himmat Housing Colony started under the leadership of Raj Kumar, noted social worker of the area, and culminated near cremation ground.
Senior residents including large number of women staged dharna against the alleged move by the corrupt officials of the J&K Housing Board to extend undue advantage to their near and dear ones through back door allotment of commercial sites along Thanger nullah.
During their half an hour long protest demonstration several senior members of the Channi -Himmat Resident Welfare Association raised the issue of illegal allotment of commercial sites in gross violation of the Master Plan and claimed it was a threat to the environment.
The residents alleged that encroaching and developing commercial sites along the river beds, water bodies and altering their course has proved disastrous in the State, and hence J&K Housing Board should stop all such commercial activities on the green strip to save ecology of the colony.
They said the local residents have been regularly meeting senior officials of the J&K Housing Board to take up the issue but instead of listening to their pleas they went ahead and allegedly allotted commercial sites in clear violation of the rules. They demanded the Government to conduct a thorough probe in the matter.