Srinagar, July 31: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Friday sealed an under construction commercial building in residential area of Jawahar Nagar for flouting permission norms and carrying out the construction beyond permissible limits.
SMC officials said that a team sealed the building and asked the owners not to carry out any further construction by pasting a banner at the gate of the building.
As per SMC documents , Muhammad Farooq Shah son of Late Peer Ali Muhammad Shah of Jawahar Nagar was granted permission (Permission order No 4057 dated 29 June 2019) to construct “Ground basement and four storeyed mix use building” at the land Survey Number 1138 at Nurshing Ghar in Jawahar Nagar.
The owner was granted another permission (Permission of modification under order no 455 dated 31 October 2019 for raising additional floor) last year when the government had imposed strict clampdown after reading down of Article 370 on August 5.
Locals say how the second permission order was issued during the clampdown when the entire Kashmir was shut including the government offices.
The locals protested against the SMC and the owner after they found that the permission rules were being violated and a huge commercial building was being constructed in the residential area.
The locals filed a petition in the court against SMC and the owner for “blatant violation of Master Plan”, pleading in the court that permission has been granted for constructing a building of height of 60 feet from ground level. However, the owner violated and raised it over 100 feet and to six storeyes which “snatched the right to light, air and privacy” of the neighboring residents.
Caught in the quagmire for issuing suspicious permission, the SMC teams inspected the site and reported the “owner has violated the building permission at each floor by increasing the floor area and not maintained proper setbacks.”
The Joint Commissioner Planning ordered the Chief Enforcement Officer to seal the building, which was done today 11 days after the order was issued.
The order said that as reported by the team the ground floor has been converted into some other use (other than parking) because instead of ramp for vehicle, steps has been constructed.
Locals said that SMC was reluctant to oblige the orders, however, they held protests on Thursday afternoon against the SMC and the owner “for threatening and harassing them” and blocked the Main Jawahar Nagar road for hours and dispersed only after the intervention of top police and SMC officials, who assured them sealing.
The Joint Commissioner Planning kept both the permission orders “in abeyance till full inquiry is conducted”.
Locals said that the SMC was not implementing the sealing orders as a local BJP woman activist, who is also vice chairperson of Khadi and Village Board, was influencing the SMC and supporting the owners for illegal construction. They said a Congress worker was also supporting the owners. (KDC)
