Jammu,August 10 (Scoop News)- Renowned RTI activist Balvinder Singh, while sharing the detail with media, revealed that a one of his RTI response from ACEO Jammu Smart City has uncovered a deeply troubling lapse in the functioning of Jammu Smart City Projects Limited (JSCPL), exposing a massive waste of public funds stemming from negligent planning and procedural violations.
Under the ambitious Smart City Mission, JSCPL installed started the installation of 682 wayfinding signages across Jammu in 2020 & completed the work on 31.12.2022, at a cost of ₹10.20 crore, with the aim of modernizing urban navigation and enhancing civic infrastructure. However, the initiative has now become a symbol of public disillusionment and administrative failure.
In a deeply troubling display of administrative apathy, 58 major wayfinding signages—worth a staggering ₹3.4 crore—were demolished during the recent widening of the Satwari–Kunjwani road, barely two years after their installation. Three large signages, each amounting to ₹35,50,000, and another three, each costing ₹7,50,000, were among the 58 signages. These installations, funded entirely by taxpayer money, now lie in ruins—silent witnesses to a planning failure that could have been easily avoided. What makes this waste even more egregious is the fact that these signages were erected without securing the mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). This procedural lapse ignored a critical safeguard: ensuring alignment with future road expansion plans and protecting the “Right of Way” reserved for utilities and infrastructure. In bypassing this essential step, the authorities not only violated regulatory norms but also betrayed the trust of citizens whose hard-earned contributions sustain public development.
In a glaring oversight, 58 major signages—worth ₹3.4 crore—were demolished during the recent widening of the Satwari–Kunjwani Road. These installations, funded by taxpayer money, were erected without securing mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)—a critical step to ensure alignment with future road expansion plans and safeguard the “Right of Way” reserved for utilities and infrastructure.
Singh pointed out that ordinary citizens are routinely required to obtain NOCs from departments such as Revenue, Nazool, PWD, PDD, and NHAI before constructing near roadways. Shockingly, JSCPL bypassed this process entirely, leading to the premature destruction of public assets within just five years of installation.
Despite the scale of the financial loss and the procedural violations, no official has been held accountable, raising serious concerns about governance, transparency, and institutional integrity.
Mr. Singh stated that he had filed an RTI request seeking inspection of the workshop where dismantled signages were reportedly being stored, but JSCL denied access. Undeterred by the refusal, he personally located the dumping site and documented the condition of the discarded signages through photographs.
Balvinder Singh has made an earnest appeal to Lieutenant Governor Sh. Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, urging them to initiate a high-level investigation by an agency of proven integrity to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.
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