SRINAGAR: The Block Development Officer (BDO) Gund in the Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district has issued building permission to a Punjab resident, violating High Court orders and the Sonamarg Masterplan, Daily Excelsior reported.
Following this, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA), Farooq Ahmad Baba, sought an inquiry against the BDO for the illegal act.
Subsequently, the Government transferred him, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Gulzar Ahmad, was given additional charge of the CEO SDA.
Last week, the CEO wrote a letter (CEO/SDA/2024/484-85 dated 17-05-2024) to the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) seeking an inquiry into the illegal building permission granted by the BDO Gund to Charanpreet Singh Grewal, son of Gurender Singh Grewal, a resident of Model Town, Ludhiana, Punjab.
Permission was granted to Grewal via order No: PYT/ SM/ 19 dated: 22-02-2024 for the construction of a second storey of a residential house on a piece of land owned by him in the Halqa Panchayat Sonamarg-A.
However, the BDO granted permission for the construction of a second floor of a non-existent building, beyond his authority and contrary to High Court directions.
“The BDO Gund has issued the said permission beyond his jurisdiction and competence, and as per the present ground situation, no ground floor has been constructed on the mentioned piece of land,” read the letter from the CEO SDA.
The building permission was granted to Grewal despite a High Court order (dated 27-03-2023) banning any construction in the SDA area.
As per the DEERS report, the built-up area of Sonamarg tourist resort exceeded 78 hectares, surpassing the threshold of 50 hectares as per the Master Plan 2005-25.
To facilitate the construction of more hotels and infrastructure in the eco-fragile tourist resort, the Chairman of BOCA for SDA formed a committee last year to counter the DEERS report.
A report based on satellite imagery, as sought by the High Court, supported the DEERS report, showing that the built-up area in Sonamarg exceeded the permissible limit and refuted the claims of the BOCA.
In an affidavit before the High Court in February last year, the then CEO SDA, Mushtaq Ahmad Rather, also stated that no new constructions could be allowed in Sonamarg.
