Editorial
|
|
|
| | Encroachments, illegal constructions | | Strict action and not just mapping the sites | | | If wishes were horses then beggars would certainly ride. Much of the genesis of poor governance in Jammu and Kashmir lies in the fact that there is too much wishful thinking at the top, without even a remote assessment of ground realities. Off late the state government has begun developing a penchant for ruling the state from the cyber skies. But it has neither ended up with perfection in the art of being net savvy, nor has it gone beyond the exercise of building castles virtually in the air. The latest report is that the state government is contemplating to use Google Earth to keep a tab on illegal encroachments and constructions in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. The programme is yet another component of the much publicised e-governance that continues to be a hollow claim with sites that are not even updated, leave alone translated into action beyond the keyboard commands. One can very well, then imagine the fate of this state, where illegal encroachments and constructions are becoming a major nuisance, turning huge tracts of forest land into jungles of concrete and filling in the coffers of the land mafia. This mafia and law violators are managing to indulge in large scale loot and plunder of not just state lands but also snatching the properties of unsuspecting and helpless citizens or building their mansions and commercial complexes in absolute violation of the norms – in terms of space, parking slots or basic safety measures. All this is happening under the very nose of the concerned government departments and agencies and goes on literally unchecked even as affected citizens keep on making complaints. Rather, in many cases, it has been found that these encroachments and illegal constructions happen due to the patronage of the people at the helm of affairs. It is not known how google mapping of illegal encroachments and constructions is going to bring about any change when it is the attitude of the authorities that first needs to be disciplined. Technology can only help inform, it cannot perform the magical wonder of demolishing illegal structures and making good law abiding citizens of the thriving land mafia. There is already enough information that concerned authorities have at their disposal of cases of encroachments and illegal constructions. Let them first act on these, and let them first of all refuse to patronize unscrupulous elements indulging in such acts. The e-surveys of violations and violators can certainly wait. |
|
|
|
|
Comment on this Story |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|