Three families fight over a flat at Jagti

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 10

A row over possession of a flat in Jagti township has exposed corruption in the allotment of multi-storey housing units constructed under the Prime Minister rehabilitation package.

Three families are claiming possession of the flat with two alleging that they had paid money to get the two-room accommodation allotted to them. This has forced the Relief Organisation (Migrants) to lodge a first information report (FIR) and also order a departmental inquiry.

However, locals claimed that due to a nexus of government officials and some “social activists”, the buying and selling of flats, which were constructed for militancy-displaced families, was routine in the camp.

The two-room units were allotted free to displaced people from Kashmir.

For the last few days, the Chand Zadoo family is living in the balcony of the building in Lane 3, Block 12/14 after the police and relief department officials sealed the flat as another family claimed that it had got the flat allotted to it after paying a local resident.

Both the families had heated arguments after which the police intervened. The original allotment is in the name of one Daleep Raina.

When contacted, Relief Commissioner ML Raina said an FIR had been lodged and the Crime Branch would investigate the case. “There are charges and counter-charges from the families about the flat. The law will take its course,” said Raina.