HC DIRECTIVES VIOLATED;Speaker’s kin construct banquet hall over State owned Nallah Greater Kailash residents fear flood threat

 VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Notwithstanding Court directives and standing instructions of the Deputy Commissioner Jammu against construction of a banquet hall over a piece of State land on a nallah in Greater Kailash area of the City outskirts, a relative of Speaker Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta is brazenly continuing the construction work.
The area, spread over 16 Kanals is ‘Ghair Mumkin Khad’-falls under the category of banned for constructions, sale, purchase and registry, according to a Court directive.
What could be the administrative highhandedness that construction of a bridge on this nullah was stopped to give chance to banquet hall owners to grab the government land.
One Capt Raghubir Singh of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Greater Kailash has filed a case in the High Court against encroachment of nallah with a plea that any construction over it can expose the area to floods and water-logging.
Despite stay orders, the Speaker’s close relative Ranjan Gupta and his brother Pankaj Gupta have been carrying work on the banquet hall by threatening those objecting to such a brazen violation.
Last week, Gurudwara Committee also met SSP Jammu and sought police intervention, as they found DC Jammu helpless in taking cognizance of the violation, due to the political pressure.
The petition filed in the High Court states that Speaker Assembly Kavinder Gupta had also visited the site. “Kavinder Gupta is building pressure on various agencies so that no officer could dare to raise any finger”, said Advocate Munish Sharma, who is representing the petitioner Capt Raghubir Singh  in the High Court. Here it is relevant to mention that the 55 feet wide nallah has been squeezed by raising boundary wall to grab government land and save banquet hall from flood water.
The locals are apprehensive of flooding of their homes, especially the Gurdwara, during ensuing monsoon.
Despite standing norms, banquet halls cannot be opened near any religious place within the radius of 200 meters. “How the permission has been granted to construct a banquet hall near Gurudwara”, questions Advocate Munish Sharma, wondering how a permission could be granted for such a purpose by Jammu Municipal Corporation.
According to petition, the matter had been reported to the DC Jammu, Tehsildar, Revenue Secretary and other revenue officers besides PMO and the Deputy Chief Minister’s office. The Chief Engineer, Flood and Irrigation besides Minister of Flood and Irrigation and Flood Control too had been apprised about the brazen violation but no action was taken by the District Administration. “In fact, they have facilitated the encroachment of land under the political pressure/influence,” the petition adds.
The petition claims that Speaker Legislative Assembly himself visited the spot and informed the Gurdwara Committee that there is no encroachment of the lane/nallah by the private respondents (Sharda Rani, wife of Bodh Raj, Ranjan Gupta, son of Bodh Raj and Pankaj Sharma, all residents of Sunjwan) and land actually belonged to them.
The petition states that the statement made by the Speaker, who happens to be the MLA of the area, is nothing but bundle of lies in view of the fact that the NOC granted by UED is subject to leaving the six meter land from the Nallah/khad which shall be kept vacant. But, in the instant case boundary wall has been constructed in the middle of the Nallah.
The petition sought orders to stop the encroachment of the road connecting the bridge which leads to the Extension 13 of Greater Kailash with further directions of retrieving back the road already encroached besides demolition of the banquet hall in the residential area.
“In this matter I filed a MP (01/2015), wherein the High Court has given a judgement to maintain status quo and no further construction on khad/flood channel. However, this order is being violated to its maximum extent by Sharda Rani, Rajan Gupta and Pankaj Gupta. The construction was stayed in February 2016. However, for obvious reason, no agency could stop the work,” lamented Advocate Munish Sharma.
“Surprisingly, the DC Jammu had assured soon after the Court judgement in February last that the work will be stopped. However, till date the construction is in progress,” Advocate Munish alleged.