SRINAGAR: In a brazen violation of rules and regulations, Srinagar Municipal Corporation has given permission to a dead person for the construction of a commercial complex here in Qamarwai area of Srinagar city.
Reliable sources said that in a bid to pave way for an offender to grab half of the state land, Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) of SMC has given permission to a deceased namely Ghulam Qadir Sofi (died on 14/6/2008 as per official records) son Muhammad Sadiq Sofi a resident of Rehmatabad Qamarwari to construct a commercial complex in Qamarwari area. Sources added that the real owner of the Commercial Complex got the permission to save him from changing the title of the land.
The permission has been given by Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) to save the offender from changing the title of land while sources said that half of the land on which the commercial complex has been erected is state land.
A delegation from Rehmatabad Qamarwari told news gathering agency that some top officials from BOCA granted the permission vide order number 267 of 2009 dated 3/9/2009 deliberately to help the son of the deceased not to create commercial complex only but to grab the state land as well. They said that despite bringing the issue into the notice of top SMC officials neither any action was initiated against the offender nor was the matter probed.
“We knocked at every door but were given only false assurances. It is a big scam and the matter needs to be probed without any delay,” they added.
They said that even Divisional Commissioner Kashmir asked SMC to probe the matter; however, nothing was done in this regard. They further said that Srinagar Municipal Corporation dismantled some temporary shops on the said land to pave way for the offender to get the commercial complex constructed in the area.
An official from Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA said that they will probe the matter and will see how permission was given to a dead person. Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Farooq Ahmed Lone who holds the additional charge of Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation said that he has already asked the complainants to give representation to Joint Commissioner Works. “I will definitely look into the matter,” he said.
An official wishing not to be named told news agency that it is sheer violation of rules and regulations and is the case of forgery and misrepresentation. “You can’t give permission to a person who has been dead. Even you can’t give permission to a survivor without any inquiry and verification,” he said.
