Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 14: In a major development, the Revenue and Rural Development Departments have given No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the extension of Jammu local area limits to 652 square kilometers under new Master Plan and now the General Administration Department would place the proposal before the State Cabinet, which is expected to meet any time after July 20, for approval.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the new proposed Master Plan, which will remain applicable till 2032, the Jammu Development Authority has projected extension of local area limits from present 305 square kilometer to 652.33 square kilometer.
In the recent past, this proposal was formally submitted to the Housing and Urban Development Department for seeking Cabinet nod and issuance of formal SRO. However, when the Housing and Urban Development Department forwarded the proposal to the General Administration Department, the later raised some queries before tabling the same before the Cabinet.
The major query was about seeking No-Objection Certificates from the Revenue and Rural Development Departments on the ground that without their consent the local area limits cannot be extended as after-all the additional area proposed by the Jammu Development Authority is under the control of these two departments, sources said.
“After repeated persuasions by the top brass of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Revenue and Rural Development Departments have formally issued No-Objection Certificates and the same have been forwarded to the General Administration Department”, sources disclosed, adding now, no procedural formality is required to be conducted by the Housing and Urban Development Department.
In response to a question, sources said, “the State Cabinet is likely to meet any time during next week and this proposal will get nod as the proposal for extension of Jammu local area limits under the new Master Plan is complete in all respects”, adding “following the Cabinet nod a SRO would be issued notifying the extended limits of Jammu local area from present 305 square kilometer to 652.33 square kilometer”.
Following this exercise, the proposed Master Plan would be put in the public domain for inviting objections and suggestions in a time-bound manner, which is a statutory requirement under Section 10(1) of Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970. This Master Plan would be applicable for areas up to Supwal (Samba), Bishnah, Akhnoor and Ban (near toll post on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway).
In response to a question, sources said that though approval for extension of local area under Srinagar Development Authority from existing 417 square kilometers to 757 square kilometers was given in 2013 yet the Master Plan has not been formulated by the concerned authorities till date. “No time-frame can be specified for formulation of Master Plan of Srinagar Development Authority”, they added.
When asked about Master Plans for major towns of the State in order to ensure planned development, sources said, “directions have already been issued to the concerned authorities for expediting the exercise for preparation of Master Plans. However, no time-frame can be specified for completion of this exercise because of varied reasons including shortage of manpower and other paraphernalia with the Town Planning Department, which is also under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department”.
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