Master Plan Violations everywhere, Admin nowhere!

With no let up in complaints of illegal constructions during the ongoing election year, Master Plan is being brazenly violated in Srinagar, a victim of “haphazard urbanization”.
From the City center of Lal Chowk to key roads like the Airport Road, Nammath and Parim Pora –Athwajan highway, multistoried complexes are being constructed in alleged violation of norms while the concerned are accused of grabbing millions as kickbacks for every floor of such constructions.
From the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC)  and  Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) to Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) and the Cantonment Board domains,  complaints of violations have popped up from every nook and corner of the City.
In the heart of Srinagar the violations are now so brazen that upcoming complexes like the one being constructed near Budshah Bridge have been allowed to be constructed right along the main road with no scope for road widening as proposed in the Master Plan. “Though buildings constructed in the past few years were directed to maintain gap of around eight feet, this constructions is being allowed to violate the norms only due to kickbacks,” said a delegation.  “The construction was allowed even without mandatory UTEC  clearance.”
On Nammath in Soura area of east City, scores of constructions, mostly in the form of commercial complexes have come up. “We have pictorial evidence to vindicate our complaints against illegal constructions,” said a civil society group while sharing some photographs.
The scene is no better in Cantonment Board and LAWDA domains. “In Dalgate, Sonawar and Durganag localities commercial constructions are visible right from the main road but LAWDA and Cantonment Board are unmoved,” said  a delegation adding illegal constructions are coming up even right outside the children hospital at Sonawar.
In south City on the Airport Road frequented by VIPS–scores of new commercial complexes are coming up. “In majority of cases the building permissions are being brazenly violated in a way that permission for construction of a room is being misused to construct  five to six floor buildings,” said an insider in the civic body asking not to be identified.
“Nobody is concerned to compare the building permission with the actual constructions because corruption rules the roost. For a floor of such constructions these Babus demand Rs 20 to 30 lakh saying share has to be send to even higher ups even in the Secretariat,” said a complainant.
Similar is the scene on the Athwajan-Parimpora highway, where dozens of multistoried complexes have been coming up right along the busy road. “Despite sending mailers to the concerned including SMC officials and the Div Com, along with photo attachments, no action was taken against the accused,” said a delegation of complainants.
Eyebrows are equally being raised over the role of district administration for maintaining silence over alleged mushrooming of the Master Plan violations. “Despite strict directives to keep check on Master Plan  violations even the Div Com Kashmir and DC Srinagar are silent,” said a lawyer tracking Master Plan violations. “You don’t need to get a microscope or a magnifying glass to find out the mess. Most such violations are visible right on the main roads and verifying the building permissions shouldn’t have been any big job.”
Amid growing complaints of kickbacks, allegations are equally popping up of “political interventions that fuel illegal constructions for vote bank politics.” The lawlessness seems to be such that in areas like Raj Bagh and Jawahar Nagar main road has been encroached upon for two to three feet past floods alone. “Single floor shops have been let to construct upper floors initially in tin sheets. It’s corruption everywhere,” said a civil society activist.
Despite repeated attempts the District Development Commissioner Farooq Ahmed Shah didn’t respond to phone calls. SMC Commissioner Dr Qasba on the other hand often claims that enforcement squads were keeping “eagles eye to check violations if any”.
The Divisional Commissioner Rohit Kansal however said the matter would be seriously looked into. “We will constitute a committee to look into the complaints,” Kansal told Greater Kashmir. “There won’t be discrimination, all violations will be treated equally with iron hands,” he said in reply to a question.