In a dramatic Sunday operation, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) razed a six-storey under-construction building in the city's Malviya Nagar area. The demolition was carried out because the structure allegedly lacked the mandatory building permission from the JDA itself. This action has ignited a fierce controversy and exposed a significant lack of coordination between Jaipur's two primary civic bodies.
The Clash of Approvals: JDA vs JMC
The core of the dispute lies in conflicting claims over which civic body had the authority to sanction the building plan. The three owners of the property—Naresh Manwani, Puneet Gurnani, and Prasant Motwani—vehemently insisted that they had obtained all necessary approvals from the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC). They revealed that they had paid Rs 1.25 lakh to the JMC for these sanctions and presented the relevant documents to JDA officials.
However, JDA remained unconvinced. JDA DIG Rahul Katakey stated that the land in question on Girdhar Marg, opposite the Amit Bhardwaj petrol pump, belongs to the JDA. He asserted that the owners failed to provide any proof of sanction from JDA. "Instead, they showed us approval from JMC. The building was also in an unsafe condition. So, we decided to demolish the building completely," Katakey explained.
Owners' Anguish and Official Standoff
During the demolition, owner Naresh Manwani arrived at the site to protest. He argued that they believed the plot belonged to JMC, which is why they approached that body for approval. "Construction has been going on for the past two months. Suddenly, JDA officials started pressuring us to stop work. We have approvals and valid bills from JMC. The state government has to take responsibility for this goof-up," Manwani said.
The JMC, however, quickly distanced itself from the matter. Mukut Singh, JMC's deputy commissioner for Malviya Nagar Zone, clarified that the JMC had no role to play as the plot belongs to JDA. "We have not sanctioned any building plans," Singh claimed, directly contradicting the owners' documents.
Systemic Failure and Calls for Investigation
The incident has shed light on a deeper, systemic issue in Jaipur's urban governance. Chandra Sekhar Parashar, former additional chief town planner of the state, pointed out that several JMC plots and colonies were transferred to JDA without public notification. He noted a troubling trend: "As building plans get sanctioned easily at JMC, builders and individuals often get building plans on JDA plots sanctioned from JMC."
Echoing the need for a probe, former chairman of JMC's building committee, Jitendra Shrimali, said the plot definitely belonged to JDA. "There should be an investigation against JMC officials as well. The owners should lodge an FIR," he suggested.
For now, however, it is the JDA that has taken legal action. The authority has lodged an FIR against the three owners at the Jawahar Nagar police station. Officials also stated that a notice will soon be sent to the owners to recover the costs incurred for the demolition operation. The JDA's enforcement department has stated it will verify the authenticity of the JMC approvals presented by the owners, calling it a "serious concern" if JMC is sanctioning plans on JDA land.
The demolished structure, which included a basement parking, was intended to be a guest house for students and office executives. The incident leaves the owners facing not only the total loss of their investment but also potential legal and financial penalties, all stemming from a bureaucratic tangle between two wings of the city's administration.
