SRINAGAR: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has sealed two structures in its South Zone, including Grand Jannat Bakery in Mehjoor Nagar and a four-storey commercial building in Ward 28, for violating municipal building regulations and operating without the requisite permissions.
According to separate sealing orders issued by the SMC Commissioner, both structures have been sealed under the provisions of the J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, and the J&K Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2021.
In the case of Grand Jannat Bakery, located in Mehjoor Nagar and falling under Ward 31, the order refers to a complaint filed by Mehra Begum, wife of Mohammad Ismail Dagga, and others, alleging that a bakery furnace was being installed in a residential area, posing a threat to residents, reported news agency KDC.
The complaint was referred to the Enforcement Officer (South) and the concerned Ward Officer in April 2023. Subsequently, the Ward Officer issued a notice on May 4, 2023, directing the bakery owners to produce registration documents, commercial building permission and other relevant approvals.
The order states that the owners failed to produce the required documents despite being directed to do so. The Pollution Control Committee, Kashmir, had also taken cognisance of the matter and issued a legal notice in May 2023.
A show-cause notice proposing the sealing of the premises was issued on June 20, 2023. As no reply was received within the stipulated period, the premises were sealed under an earlier order dated July 8, 2023.
The latest order also refers to a report submitted by the Assistant Engineer (Town Planning), SMC, stating that the site falls within a Residential (Low Density) zone, where manufacturing activities are not permissible.
The SMC’s Assistant Legal Remembrancer also opined that the bakery and confectionery manufacturing unit could not be operated solely on the basis of a White Category Certificate and that appropriate action could be initiated under the applicable municipal laws.
Accordingly, the premises of M/s Grand Jannat Bakery have been sealed and placed under the supervision of the SHO, Police Station Sadar, and the Ward Officer, Ward 31.
In a separate order, the SMC has also sealed a four-storey commercial structure in Ward 28, comprising two shops on the ground floor.
The action followed a report submitted by the Ward Officer, Ward 28, on January 7, 2025, stating that the structure had been raised without building permission. The Enforcement Officer (South) subsequently recommended its sealing.
A show-cause notice was issued to the owner on February 7, 2025, seeking an explanation within three days. In response, the owner claimed that he had not constructed any commercial building during the preceding 20 years.
However, a report obtained from a GIS expert, based on an analysis of available satellite imagery, indicated that changes at the site had taken place from around 2015.
The matter was also referred to the SMC Law Wing in September 2025 for an opinion on whether action could be initiated against a structure allegedly constructed approximately a decade earlier.
The Assistant Legal Remembrancer opined that the mere passage of time does not confer legality on an unauthorised construction and that statutory action remains maintainable under the relevant provisions of law.
The order further states that unauthorised construction cannot be legitimised or protected merely because of its age or a delay in initiating enforcement proceedings.
The four-storey structure has been sealed and placed under the supervision of the SHO, Police Station Batmaloo, and the Ward Officer, Ward 28.
Both orders direct the concerned police and municipal officials to ensure compliance and monitor the sealed premises.
