The recent concerns raised by the JCCI regarding the alarming stagnation in urban development deserve serious attention from both the Government and the public. For over three decades, the JDA and the Housing Board have failed to establish new commercial or residential colonies, exacerbating the shortage of space for both business and living quarters. The JCCI has rightly called for revising the NOC rules for areas like Gandhi Nagar in light of the current situation to ease the pressure on residents and streamline urban development. Another significant point of concern is the extremely low Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.8 in Jammu, among the lowest in the country. Without reforms to increase the FAR to at least 2.4, the city’s ability to accommodate its growing population will remain severely limited. The Master Plan reforms for Jammu are long overdue and must be cleared to provide relief in terms of both land and space.
The snail’s pace of several key infrastructure projects, such as the River Tawi Front development and the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, further reflects a worrying trend of stagnation. The focus should be to develop tourist areas such as Patnitop, Poonch, and Rajouri on the lines of Gulmarg and Pahalgam to tap the potential of Jammu’s tourism sector. Investing in modernising these regions could have a profound economic impact on the region. The prolonged inaction of the JDA has led to the unchecked growth of unauthorised colonies. J&K RERA, the regulatory body responsible for overseeing these developments, has recently stepped in, warning the public against purchasing property from unregistered developers. This has sparked serious concerns among residents, as JDA has no plans for new colonies and private developers lack RERA registration. All these are pressing issues and demand immediate attention. A prompt intervention is necessary to get things moving, as initiatives often take years to come to fruition, making it crucial to act now. A swift action to revitalise Jammu’s infrastructure, industries, and economy is the need of the hour.
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