KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
A leading builders group in Jammu and Kashmir is facing an ‘uncalled for’ pressure at a time when one of its prestigious projects is nearing completion.
Paradise Avenue – a thirteen storey project – in Jammu town is one of the tallest housing towers due for handing over possessions by the end of this year. But the project faced hiccups recently after cops showed up at the construction site directing the builders to stop the work.
The cops cited the High Court order banning constructions on the Khad land. “But when we approached the concerned DC, he failed to furnish any such order,” the official manning the project said. “These are simple tactics of creating unnecessarily hurdles in the prestigious project.”
The order in question is the recent High Court order based on a PIL seeking judicial interventions to prevent devastation during floods. However, the authorities are said to have implemented the order on such constructions that it had permitted as early as 2013.
In the line of fire is Hilal A Rather, son of former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather. Hilal’s group is one of the state’s largest employment generators in private sector. His project was envisaged in 2011 and “due permissions were procured from JMC” in December 2013 and construction work started in 2013 itself.
Hilal Rather’s Paradise Avenue is a 3-block, 13-storey town that will have 300 apartments.
“The architect of the project has already been awarded as ‘The Most Promising Architect in North India’ for the project and the project is also being nominated for numerous awards in the real estate industry,” the official manning the prestigious project said. “The project is being profiled both nationally and internationally by leading contractors in the industry as a ‘Crown Jewel’.”
However, promoters of ‘Paradise Avenue’ rue that this “Crown Jewel” has become a “Crown of thorns”.
“Instead of receiving accolades and support from the State Government, we are being subjected to unwarranted scrutiny and artificial hurdles are being created to prevent the successful completion of the project in the name of verification of permissions and records,” they said. “Some groups have decided to play jury in the matter and jumped on to baseless conclusions, without even giving the promoters of the Paradise Avenue an opportunity of being heard,” they added.
The promoters said at no point in time any formal order was passed against the project and no sealing orders were issued by any authorities. “DC Jammu, under severe pressure from identified defaulters had only instructed the SHO concerned to visit the project site of Paradise Avenue and ensure that there is no violation of any court orders.”
The Paradise Avenue promoters asserted, “We have all its permissions in place with all the NOCs from all the departments concerned and the entire project is being executed strictly as per the permission granted. Further that the court order widely being referred to in the media does not pertain to the project as the order has been passed in September 2014.”
Any attempt to sabotage the project would only bring further distress to the citizens of the state who are gradually coming out of the difficulties of the devastating floods last year, the promoters fear, “as hard earned money of the customers is at stake and Paradise Avenue and its holding company are one of the leading employment generators in the state.”
While the work is on progress, the promoters have assured the investors that their investment is in safe hands. “Despite the hiccup,” the promoters said, “the work on the project has been resumed.”
