JAMMU, Sep 12: Councilor Gaurav Chopra of Ward No. 28, Bakshi Nagar, addressing a press conference on the proposed Bakshi Nagar flyover project from Pawan Ice Cream to Shakuntala Theatre, said development should be carried out in a transparent and people-centric manner without compromising the rights and livelihoods of affected shopkeepers and other commercial establishments.
Chopra expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister and Satish Sharma for their efforts towards advancing development works in the area. He clarified that he was not opposed to development or the proposed flyover, stating that the project could help in traffic management and the overall development of Bakshi Nagar.
However, he stressed that development should not come at the cost of vendors, justice or the rights of people likely to be affected by the project. Referring to the Nai Basti shopkeepers, he said assurances had initially been given regarding alternative shops and proper rehabilitation, but the shops were subsequently removed. He said a similar situation should not arise in Bakshi Nagar.
Chopra demanded that if any shopkeeper, hotel operator or other commercial entity is affected by the flyover, the concerned property and rights should first be verified on the basis of current revenue records. He called for appropriate compensation and rehabilitation under applicable rules before any affected structures are removed.
The Councilor demanded that the government and concerned stakeholders make the approved Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the Bakshi Nagar flyover public. He said the document should clearly disclose the total project cost, proposed alignment and Right of Way (ROW), the number of private and commercial properties likely to be affected, provisions for rehabilitation and compensation, and details of stakeholders who have issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
He also questioned the necessity of development works recently undertaken by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in the area in view of the proposed flyover alignment.
Chopra specifically raised questions regarding the vertical garden near Maheshpur Chowk/Medical College, reportedly constructed at a cost of around Rs 1 crore, as well as development works and tenders worth approximately Rs 91 lakh for the stretch from Arya Samaj to Pawan Ice Cream.
He said that if the area had already been earmarked for a major flyover project, the technical and financial rationale behind planning, approving, tendering and executing these works should be made public.
Clarifying that he was not making allegations against any official or institution without an investigation, Chopra sought to know whether the necessity of the expenditure had been technically evaluated while taking the proposed DPR and flyover alignment into consideration.
He said that if public funds had been spent on works that subsequently have to be removed, altered or reconstructed because of the flyover project, accountability for the technical and financial decisions should be established.
Chopra called for the approved DPR of the Bakshi Nagar flyover to be made public and sought disclosure of the proposed alignment and ROW. He also demanded a comprehensive survey and list of all shopkeepers and businesses likely to be affected by the project.
He further demanded that compensation and rehabilitation arrangements for eligible affected persons be finalised before displacement, based on current revenue records, and that written and clear orders or assurances be provided to shopkeepers before they are displaced.
He also called for an independent technical and financial audit of the tenders, work orders, payments and utility of the vertical garden costing approximately Rs 1 crore and the related JMC development works estimated at around Rs 91 lakh.
Chopra said that if any unnecessary or redundant expenditure of public funds was detected, accountability should be fixed.
Reiterating his support for the flyover, Chopra said he wanted development in Bakshi Nagar but not at the cost of the livelihoods of shopkeepers or wastage of public money. He emphasised that development should be transparent, technically justified and people-centric.