By Shivang Satya Gupta
Jammu, Jan 30, 2022: The Jammu Development Authority (JDA), which was created by the government with an aim to beautify and develop the landscape of Jammu city on modern lines, has proved out to be an utter failure on all fronts. On the contrary, the JDA is performing the obstructionist role. Neither it is performing its duty nor does it want other institutions to do any good for the betterment of Jammuites.
The recent circular of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj designating competent authorities for accord of approval/permission for construction/alteration of residential and commercial buildings in the rural areas is a ray of hope that the City of Temples will be freed from the clutches of incompetent bureaucrats and may be restored to its glory. But, JDA higher-ups are up in arms against the same as it will deprive them and their touts from extracting money from the poor masses.
The City of temples ‘Jammu’ has its glorious history as a centre of Dogra power for over 100 years which had the most oriental and picturesque towns in the Indian sub-continent. Ironically, the city is not even close to its shadow in the present era, courtesy a league of incompetent bureaucrats holding the realms of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) for decades to transform this picturesque City into total chaos.
Even after 42-years when the first Master Plan was approved by the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state government, city, a major transit point for lakhs of pilgrims and tourists continues to present a ‘dirty look’.
It would be rightful to declare the Jammu Development Authority – a major contributor for the deplorable state of civic and developmental infrastructure in the City. The JDA has miserably failed on every aspect of its operations, which is easily visible to anyone who walks through the areas allotted to the JDA for development purposes.
Firstly, the authorities at the helm in JDA bitterly failed its objectives, as they were far from a practical, pragmatic and futuristic master plan to give a developmental fillip to the most picturesque periphery of Jammu. A futuristic Master Plan for Jammu would have given the people dedicated spaces for Commercial activities, Housing projects, Parking Spaces, Places for Recreational purpose and most importantly places for setting up institutions and industry.
Ironically, Jammu Master Plan-2032 – the latest draft approved in 2017 has several discrepancies unaddressed to this date which are eventually obstructing the implementation of the ambitious centrally sponsored Jammu Smart City project.
The consistency in incompetence shown by officials heading the JDA calls for an independent audit of the performance of the officials and their role in preparation and implementation in the previously approved master plans as most of these master plans have neither been completed in ‘letter and spirit’ and nor they fulfilled the desired results.
An independent panel of experts should thoroughly review these master plans and the performance of JDA officials and let the relevance of these incomplete master plans be made public.
The Jammu development Authority was tasked with a program of transforming Jammu into a futuristic town with all modern infrastructural and Civic facilities but it eventually turned out to be a most inefficient body which has let no stone unturned to annihilate the resources in the City.
It has generally been observed that many constructions are being undertaken within jurisdiction limits of Master Plan by various encroachers without requisite permission from the competent authority, whereas most of the prime properties and lands allotted to JDA have either being encroached by Mafias or illegal colonies have been set up and sold under the patronage of incompetent bureaucrats holding the realms of the Authority.
JDA, which enjoyed golden era during the tenure of Shri Jagmohan as the Governor of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state and P. Chakravarty as Vice Chairman of Jammu Development Authority. During the period, several landmark projects were envisaged in Jammu. The successors in JDA however enjoyed all the powers of the institutions but they miserably failed to peoples concern rather they turned this institution to harass people thus ruined the institution and defeated its very purpose of establishment owing to their lack of wisdom, corrupt mindset and criminal incompetence. And now they have gone to the extent that they are even obstructing government to clear the mess.
