3 town planners for 40 ULBs in Kashmir: Govt

Jammu, Feb 13: J&K Government on Friday informed the House that there were a total of three town planners in the Town Planning Organisation, Kashmir, against 40 Urban Local Bodies.

Minister for Social Welfare Sakeena Itoo stated it in the House while replying to a question on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, raised by legislator Sajad Gani Lone.

The Minister’s reply elicited a pointed query from Lone as to why the government was not changing law and taking steps to change the status quo wherein it would take minimum one year in obtaining No Objection Certificate (NoC)/building permissions from the Town Planning Organisation for any residential or commercial structure.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also the Minister in-charge for Housing and Urban Development Department.

Lone, in his supplementary, stated, “It takes one year to get NoC for building permission, whether residential or commercial. I don’t want to bring politics into it. They fought elections on the plank that during the past five years, everything was ruined and nothing good happened.”

“Then why are they now defending what has been done in the past five years. Ratio (of town planners) is 1:12, which means 12 towns have only one town planner. He has to give all the permissions and it takes one year. What law is this and why won’t the person break the law if he has to wait for one year for permission everywhere? It is the Housing and Urban Development Department which has suffered the maximum damage during the past five years. I’m saying it on record it will take one year if the person pays some “Kharcha-Paani” (bribe). Otherwise, it will take two years or so,” Lone stated.

He continued with his posers, as he addressed the Speaker, “Why do they not change it (law)? There is no impediment in that. Sir. I seek your intervention. Ask any member, it is very cruel for anyone to wait for one for a small permission. When too many people break the law, it means there is something wrong with the law.”

NC member Saif-ud-din Bhat too supported it. “I’ll direct the department to expedite the process of granting permission. We will examine other issues and suggestions by the members and will do whatever is desirable and possible,” Itoo assured.

Lone asked, “How will it (expediting process) be possible when they have three town planners for 40 towns. Answer should be realistic. They are giving evasive replies.”

“Suggestion has been noted, we will do whatever is possible,” she said.

Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar pointed out, “The Master plan for Sopore town has not been notified but the permissions are being granted. A mess has been created.”

Earlier, Itoo stated that the process of granting NOCs to the people seeking constructions within the Municipal areas of Jammu and Kashmir would be simplified.

She said, “As per section 203 of the Municipal Act 2000 and J&K Unified Building Bye-laws 2021, no person shall erect, re-erect or make any material alteration to any building within the respective jurisdiction of ULBs without the sanction of the Municipality.”

She added that the UBBL clause 2.18 required NOCs from different departments including the Town Planning Organisation.

“There are a total of three Town Planners in the Town Planning Organisation, Kashmir, while the number of existing Local Bodies in Kashmir is 40 ULBs (10 Municipal Councils and 30 Municipal Committees),” she informed, adding, “The town planning organisation has been re-organized to create a District cadre to support preparation and implementation of Master Plans for every town.”