SMC silent to illegal constructions

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 28: As Government is busy with relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in Kashmir, some people are taking advantage of the situation by resorting to illegal constructions.
In Residency road area near the main City Centre of Lal Chowk, the temporary shops are being turned into concrete ones even as Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), which is responsible for stopping these acts, is busy clearing the mess in the same streets.
Locals said that SMC officials are hand in glove with these shopkeepers who are taking advantage of the situation and are indulging in illegal constructions. “The SMC officials are in hand in glove with these violators and flood is just a cover”, said a shopkeeper at Residency road.
The illegal constructions are taking places mostly in Regal Lane, Forest Lane and Abi Guzar Lane where temporary allotments which can be removed any time are being concertized.
And reports reaching in from several areas of Srinagar said that at several places houses are being constructed illegally without building permission.
Residents of Gulberg Colony alleged that two Government employees have constructed houses on a temple land. Their construction was stopped due prior to floods but they have again started constructions under the garb of floods.