Jammu & Kashmir: Tawi Front View Park situated at banks of river Tawi at about 49 kanals of land, much awaited Rs 3 crore project has abruptly reduced to a meager Rs 20 lakh Joggers Park due to reasons well known to the authorities at the helm of affairs.
Images Investigation Team (IIT) during its investigation has found that even the authorities concerned did not bother to maintain it for hygienically oriented reasons as well. According to well informed sources, District Magistrate, permitted firecracker vendors and wholesalers to use the piece of land under park to sell out crackers. But even after five days have passed Diwali hangover is still visible on the ground in Jammu Development Authorities (JDA) dream project.
Sources revealed to IIT, that in total Rs 50, 000 was charged to per wholesaler on the account of Red Cross fee Rs 7000, JMC fee Rs 30, 000, electricity fee Rs 700 and miscellaneous to individuals including watchmen, police, parking boys and others Rs 12, 000 approximately. Whereas semi- wholesalers was charged Rs 7,000 each, whose stalls were 18 in number and wholesalers were 15 in number.
Highly placed sources in JDA informed that on the direction of Housing and Urban Development the working was stopped a year and half ago with the aim to send proposal for funds to state government instead of spending funds from JDA. Commenting on the issue Vice- Chairman Vinod Sharma said that department is waiting for Board meeting and will submit the proposal already completed in this regard. He said, however, proposal of Rs 20 lakh Joggers Park is already finalized and work will follow soon. Replying to question, Sharma said that request has been sent to District Magistrate for release of revenue and JMC will receive revenue to clean the park to hand over to JDA.
Clarifying stance, DDC Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said that JMC have received fee and responsibility to make it hygienically clean stands upon them. He said location being away from city served better to avoid pollution and saturation. JMC, Commissioner, S. M Sahani said that cleaning procedure would be started soon.
Going by the facts extracted by IIT, it seems that those raising hue and cry against discrimination are themselves a party to under development not others. Joggers Association President, Chuni Lal while ridiculing excuses by concerned authorities on one or the other pretext said that JDA is spending millions on various developmental projects, then why did Rs 3 crore became an eye sore for them to develop the park.