A day after Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) seized two tippers ferrying construction material in Harwan area of Srinagar city, people living in and around Dal Lake have questioned the ‘building permission policy’ of LAWDA saying that influential people are allowed to construct houses even in green belt while poor people are targeted.
Locals from Dal Lake area said that LAWDA has no consistent and clear building permission policy and it is harassing people in the name of building permission.
“On the one hand authorities are claiming that they will rehabilitate Dal dwellers while on the other hand they are being harassed in the name of building permission,” they said.
“For the construction or renovation of your house in and around Dal Lake, you need construction material. Even after obtaining permission, construction material is seized. We fail to understand the policy of LAWDA. The incumbent VC LAWDA has no clear policy,” people said and alleged that they are being harassed in the name of building permission. “Even if you get building permission, you have to keep officials in good humour while a poor can’t afford such a thing,” the locals said.
Pertinently, LAWDA seized two tippers (JK01AF-0755) and (JK01E-4922) carrying construction material near Harwan area a couple of days back. “I am having permission and still my construction material was seized. Tell me what I have to do. I think I should sell my property here and migrate to some other place,” said a local Muhammad Shafi. (KNT)
Dal inhabitants face ‘harassment’ in the name of building permission
