Srinagar 2 January (KNB): Joint Commissioner Planning has only disposed off 14 building permissions out of the 85 applications received during the month of November.
The service of providing building permissions comes under the J&K Public Service Guarantee Act 2011, which reveals that there were 682 building applications under the process on the beginning of the month of November and during the month, 85 applications were received which equals to 767 building permission applications.
Surprisingly, out of the total 767 applications only 14 were disposed off during the month of November, as officials stated, “753 cases are under process at various levels i.e 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th besides cases referred to different line departments for their NOC’s.”
Officials further stated that only 14 cases were disposed off in the month of November due to unauthorized sealing of Town Planning Wing on 5th November upto 3rd December.
Important to mention that due to hundreds of pending applications the recovery of building permission fee has gone low for the year 2020-2021.
As per the records, the SMC revenue through Building Permission Fee was Rs. 41,221,836 for the year of 2016-17, Rs. 50,946,043 for the year of 2017-18, Rs. 99,145,270 for the year 2018-19, Rs. 149,871,671 for the year 2019-20 but for the year 2020-2021 (up to September) is only 9,714,722, which clearly indicates the drastic decrease.
Commoners have suffered immensely due to the years of delay in release of building permissions from the department.
Pertinently, in November Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Gazanfar Ali took an emergent meeting of entire planning wing viza viz Joint Commissioner Planning, Assistant Town Planners, Town Planning Assistants, Sectional Officers as well as Officer’s from the administration, which included Pathwari of the Corporation.
During the meeting Gazanfar Ali passed on instructions for streamlining the process of release of building permissions under the fast track system, so that people do not suffer for grant of building permissions but has the same been implemented, remains in question. (KNB)