After the onset of militancy in Jammu & Kashmir, for the first time the administration has decided to notify certain areas in the union territory as “strategic areas”, to facilitate smooth construction for the requirements of Armed Forces.
Till now, various Cantonment boards were chiefly responsible for all the construction activities permitted within the jurisdiction of various cantonments in J&K.
On Friday, “The Administrative Council which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G.C. Murmu, gave its nod to the proposal of amending the Control of Building Operations Act, 1988, and the J&K Development Act, 1970, to provide for special dispensation for carrying out construction activities in Strategic Areas”.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations,”The amendments proposed by Housing & Urban Development Department will pave way for notifying certain areas as ‘strategic areas’ in terms of the requirement of armed forces and in such areas, the regulation of construction activity shall be through a special dispensation. The move is aimed at simplifying the procedures and shall facilitate time-bound development of infrastructure of strategic importance,” it added.
“The approval has been granted keeping in view the strategic importance of certain locations and reconciling their security needs with developmental aspirations”, the statement read.