In continuation to anti encroachment drives by Jammu Municipal Corporation in compliance to the Orders of Division Bench of Hon’ble High Court in WPPIL no. 27/2017 titled COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION V/S STATE OF J&K &Ors., dated 28/03/2018, a drive was conducted in the areas from Shalamar road to City Chowk, Kanak Mandi upto Shahidi Chowk in order to ease traffic congestions and ensure free movement of pedestrians on footpaths.
The drive was conducted on the instructions of Commissioner, JMC Sh. Pankaj Magotra under close supervision of Joint Commissioner (A), JMC Sh. Ashish Kumar Gupta and Secretary, JMC Mrs. Sunaina Sharma. During the drive, the enforcement staff of Jammu Municipal Corporation seized one truck load of material displayed by the shopkeepers in front of their shops and footpaths causing traffic congestions and free flow of pedestrians.
So far, more than 150 nos. of anti-encroachment drives against encroachments on footpaths & the drives for removal of illegal hoardings have been conducted in the different areas falling within the jurisdiction of JMC i.e. Maheshpura, Indra Chowk, City Chowk, Kanak Mandi, Rajinder Bazar, kunjwani, Sainik Colony, Channi, Narwal, Shastri Nagar, Canal road, Trikuta Nagar, Preet Nagar, Nanak nagar, Sanjay Nagar, Bahu Plaza, Bakshi Nagar, Panjthirthi, Exchange Road, B.C. Road, Green Belt Park, Bikram Chowk, Vinayak Bazar, Gumat, Raghunath Bazar, Residency Road, Talab Tillo, etc. in order to curb the menace of encroachment causing obstruction to pedestrian and to ensure smooth free flow of traffic. Around 90 truck loads of material displayed by the shopkeepers in front of their shops and footpaths causing traffic congestions and free flow of pedestrians, illegal advertisements and hoardings have been removed.
Yellow lines to mark the boundaries of the shops in the areas Purani Mandi, Kanak Mandi, Lakhdata Bazar, Peer Mitha, Link road, Old Hospital Road, Raj Tilak Road have been drawn to keep a check on the recurring encroachments by the shopkeepers on foothpath/roads.
Number of Pakka Tharas (cemented tharas) have been demolished in various areas i.e. Lakhdata bazaar, Raj Tilak, Purani Mandi, Gandhi nagar, Apsara Road, Last Morh Gandhi Nagar etc. which were an obstruction to smooth flowing of water in drains.
Jammu Municipal Corporation also sarved 14 nos. of notices to the defaulters for defacement of public properly under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984.
Jammu Municipal Corporation has being repeatedly issuing strict instructions to the shopkeepers regarding removal of encroachments by shopkeepers through public notices. Such type of drives shall continue in near future also.