Srinagar: The State Government on Thursday constituted Empowered Committees, for scrutinizing the applications being submitted by the applicants for regularization of illegal and unauthorized constructions in the cities of Jammu, Srinagar and Katra.
For Srinagar, the committee comprises Divisional Commissioner Kashmir as chairman, and seven members including Vice chairman (VC) Srinagar Development Authority, VC Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, Chief Engineer (R&B) Kashmir, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar/Budgam/ Ganderbal (for their respective jurisdiction) , Commissioner SMC and Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Organisation Kashmir.
The empowered panels have been tasked to bring the illegal and unauthorized buildings or constructions and land use or building use conversions into the planning framework to the extent possible; shall facilitate the implementation of the Master Plans under revision; shall scrutinize all the documents as prescribed by the Competent Authority, submitted before the Empowered Committee in connection with compounding or regularization of layout/plots/buildings which have been constructed and completed before 31 December 2016;
The panels shall also recommend regularization/ compounding in respect of prescribed categories of violations under policy including building built at permissible sites but built without permission, building built at permissible sites with permissions but having violated the permission but without change of the land use; buildings having resorted to the conversion of land use
All the Empowered Committees shall not recommend illegal and unauthorized building for regularization buildings coming in the proposals of widening of roads in the Master Plan or in the comprehensive Mobility Plan, over-flood absorption basis or vulnerable slopes—slopes with more than 30 percent grade to be demarcated by the local authorities; Over lands belonging to the State or Central Government/Public undertakings/Panchayat/Waqf Board/ Local commons, etc; the precincts/sites coming under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, or any other Act prohibiting the developments in a particular area; In case the use is obnoxious or hazardous as per the Master Plan, the J&K Municipal Act, 2000, J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, J&K Development Act, 1970 or any other Act in vogue, etc; In the graveyards or burial grounds and crematoria; Areas/sites falling within the ambit of the Jammu and Kashmir
Water Resources/Regularization and Management Act, 2010; Group Housing Projects; in restricted development zones as specified in the Master Plans like Green areas, open spaces, etc and shall also ensure that such regularization does not violate the provisions of any other Act/Legislation in vogue specific to such particular structures/sites.
“The Empowered Committee, after scrutinizing all the documents in each case within 45 days of submission of reference to the empowered committee shall come up with proposed amendments in the plan, if any, and will seek comments/consent of the applicant within twenty days,” reads an order issued here by the government. After receiving the consent, the Empowered Committee will approve the building plan and, then, recommend to the Competent Authority for regularization of the construction or building use change or otherwise, it said.
“The Empowered Committees shall also abide by the provisions of SRO-391 dated 20 September, 2017.” The SRO pertains to the regularization of the unauthorized and illegal constructions.
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