KL Report
SRINAGAR
Taking notice of complaints with regard to violation of notified rates for bricks, district administration in Budgam is mulling to constitute flying squads for random checking of brick kilns and cancel the licenses of the violators.
Sources told a local news agency, KNS that the brick kiln owners while violating the norms and rate lists set by the authorities have raised the rates of the bricks affecting the ongoing construction work in various parts of the valley. “The district administration is contemplating constituting of checking squads with powers to cancel license of erring kiln owners,” the sources said.
“As per the government rate list, No. 1 bricks are to be sold at 15,500 per three thousand and B-class at 9,000 per three thousand bricks, but unfortunately that is not the case, they sell it at higher rates which have broken the spine of the general public,” a delegation of people from different areas told KNS. They added that though the administration has appointed the Tehsildar Budgam as controlling and monitoring officer for the sale and distribution of the bricks but they alleged that the officer was not paying heed to their complaints.
“We are surprised to note that when we make a complaint, the next day, kiln owners thrash us, threaten us and even prevent our trucks to enter the area. We don’t understand how they get to know about the complaints?” questioned a truck operator who was part of the delegation.
Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Budgam Khursheed Ahmad Shah said that the administration would not tolerate any kind of monopoly from the kiln owners and that strict action would be taken against the violators.
“We have already notified the rates and have also appointed a controlling officer for it. If the allegations are proven true, we will not hesitate in taking a serious action against the violators,” Shah told KNS on Saturday. He added that those who are facing problems at the hands of kiln owners should approach him personally. “If their grievances were found genuine, the administration would not hesitate in cancelling the licenses of the kiln owners,” he asserted.
