A recent row between the shopkeepers and the civic authority JMC’s personnel in Jammu city over the issue of encroachment is something which should be stopped from happening again. Although, JMC was under obligation to remove the encroachments as Jammu and Kashmir High Court had recently issued comprehensive directions to curb illegal encroachments by shopkeepers, vendors, and food joints, while disposing of a long-pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
Reportedly, the bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal had emphasized that public pathways, roads, and streets must remain free of encroachments to preserve the rights of citizens and ensure urban order.
Particularly, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has been directed to conduct anti-encroachment drives every two weeks across the city and ensure removal of both temporary and permanent encroachments by shopkeepers and commercial establishments.
This fact makes things clear that JMC is doing its duty and there is nothing wrong in doing so. Though the court direction also says that the Jammu’s civic body should also educate business owners about the illegality of occupying public space and warn of the consequences, including fines, penalties, and further legal action. Going by the confrontation between the JMC personnel and the traders during the anti-encroachment drive, one can say that JMC has failed to spread awareness over the issue in the right way leading to opposition of the aforesaid drive in the Jammu City.
It is therefore necessary that the JMC should start a comprehensive campaign across the Jammu City and also in the outskirts to educate the owners of the commercial establishments so that they start removing encroachments by themselves as this will dissuade further confrontation between the traders and the JMC sleuths, as it is always better to resolve things amicable rather than creating unnecessary conflicts and confrontations.
In the aforesaid directions, the High Court bench has also asked the police to provide necessary security and support to JMC and JDA officers during enforcement actions, which surely is an important part of any of the anti-encroachment drive as JMC or JDA officials are duty bound to take action in the cases of encroachments and there is nothing personal in this whole gamut.
