EARTH NEWS SERVICE|
Jammu, Jan 14 |16: Former Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla filed a writ petition in the State High Court (Jammu Wing) challenging the demolition notice issued by Jammu Municipal Corporation. Raman Bhalla has also challenged the orders passed by the J&K Special Tribunal on December, 30, 2015 and January, 12, 2016 whereby the J&K Special Tribunal had kept in abeyance the status quo order earlier passed on December, 22, 2015 and had directed the parties to seek clarification from the J&K High Court where directions had been issued on December, 3, 2015 to the Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation to take action warranted under law in regard to alleged major violations resorted to by Raman Bhalla in construction of his residential house at Deeli, Jammu. In the writ petition filed through Advocates Abhinav Sharma and Tarun Sharma, Raman Bhalla has contended that he applied for grant of sanction for raising construction which was approved vide order No.848/BS/2011 dated November, 30, 2011 and pursuant to the approval granted by JMC, he completed his construction work in the year 2013 itself. Raman Bhalla has further averred in his writ petition that Prof. S.K. Bhalla who had nothing to do with the construction so raised being a resident of another locality i.e. Rehari Colony, Jammu filed a writ petition (OWP No.1794/2015) before the J&K High Court seeking a direction against JMC to discharge its statutory obligations as according to Prof. Bhalla the construction was raised in violation of the sanctioned plan and on state land as well. The writ petition further mentions that a status report was called from Vigilance Organization and on the basis of the said report the State High Court passed an order on December, 3, 2015 directing Commissioner JMC to take action against the petitioner under law. Raman Bhalla has further stated that pursuant to the court order dated December, 3, 2015 the Jammu Municipal Corporation issued a final demolition notice under Section 7(3) of Control of Building Operation Act, 1988 whereby petitioner was directed to demolish the construction raised in violation of the approved plan within five days. Pertinently, Social Activist Prof. S.K. Bhalla had filed a writ petition based on a RTI expose whereby PIO JMC had disclosed that despite major violations being detected no action was initiated against the Former Revenue Minister and taking serious note of the said lapse on the part of the JMC, the High Court had passed a detailed order on December, 3, 2015 directing Commissioner, JMC to take action warranted under law against Raman Bhalla with regard to alleged major violations i.e. 2858 sqft in ground as well as first floor of his residential house at Deeli, Jammu and the High Court had also directed the Commissioner JMC to file Action Taken Report (ATR) within three weeks.
