Srinagar: The J&K government led by chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday (January 27) transferred a senior official who had flagged the issue of illegal construction and environmental vandalism in a Pahalgam health resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
In an order, the general administration department transferred Masarat Hashim, a Jammu and Kashmir administrative service (JKAS) officer who was serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) to the Union territory’s labour department.
The order came days after Hashim expressed concern over the rampant illegal construction in the south Kashmir resort town, where nearly 300 illegal structures, including hotels and lodges, have come up without permission in recent months and years, some in blatant violation of environmental norms, according to officials.
In a letter to the government, Hashim had also pointed out that dozens of other commercial establishments in Pahalgam had been renovated or expanded by their owners without complying with the building norms of the Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA).
An autonomous body headed by the CEO of PDA, BOCA is the nodal authority which grants permissions for fresh constructions and renovations in Pahalgam.
According to officials, a comprehensive report about the alleged violations was sent by the PDA to the government earlier this month while the violators were also asked to show cause and the halt the constructions immediately.
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Hashim had asked the Omar Abdullah government to intervene in halting these construction which could “cause significant harm to the environment and waste decades of conservation efforts by locals,” according to a report in Greater Kashmir.
A civil society forum in Kashmir had also urged the Abdullah government to stop the illegal constructions in Pahalgam.
“Turning Pahalgam into a concrete jungle not only destroys its pristine beauty but also poses severe threats to the environment and tourism, which are the backbone of our region,” Abdul Qayoom Wani, former union leader and chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum (JKCSF), said in a statement.
However, the government on Monday transferred the CEO, raising suspicions and allegations that the Pahalgam hoteliers’ lobby – some of whom are close to the ruling National Conference (NC) dispensation – and the construction mafia in the south Kashmir resort, were responsible for his unceremonious exit.
During his tenure as PDA CEO in 2020, Hashim had played an influential role in stopping illegal constructions and violation of environmental norms in Pahalgam by the builder mafia which had not gone down well with the hoteliers following which he was transferred by the lieutenant governor’s administration.
He was brought back as PDA CEO on December 9 last year in the first major reshuffle by the Abdullah government after coming to office.
Many had described his return to Pahalgam as a significant step to prevent environmental vandalism in the south Kashmir resort which is located in the heart of the eco-fragile Lidder Valley.
In a meeting with the PDA officials after assuming charge, Hashim told office bearers that a campaign was launched by vested interests in Pahalgam during his previous tenure for his removal but he continued doing his job.
“I respect all the political parties. I will support poor people over others. But I am not going to remain silent on the violations. I will stand with you if any problem arises and I am hopeful you will do too,” he told the PDA officials, according to a video, which has been obtained by The Wire.
Following Hashim’s ouster, a meme of the video circulated on social media showing the beaming face of Pahalgam MLA and senior NC leader Altaf Kalloo with ‘Pushpa Pushpa’, a popular Telugu song, playing in the background. The Wire couldn’t immediately identify the source of the meme.
Senior leader of Peoples Democratic Party and MLA Pulwama, Waheed Parra, targeted the Abdullah government for shunting out the officer, pointing out that the transfer of JKAS officers was in the domain of the chief minister’s office.
“The National Conference has assigned itself to the core ideology of the BJP. Under Omar Abdullah, the Union Territory government seems determined to carry forward the agenda of the BJP-led central government which is to snatch our agricultural fields and vandalise our environment,” Parra, who is also the Youth PDP president, said.
The controversy has surfaced at a time when both the BJP-led Union government and the J&K government have announced a series of infrastructure projects including a railway line and a four lane road to the Amarnath cave in Pahalgam, which are feared to play havoc on its environment.
Last week, the forest department raised objections to the J&K government’s plans of felling 700-800 trees in a forest for building a ropeway to Baisaran valley in Pahalgam.
In 2023, The Wire had reported how former CEO of PDA, Syed Sajad Qadri was shunted out and transferred to Ladakh by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration after he flagged the alleged violations by an under-construction hotel in Pahalgam.
In 2021, the high court had directed the administration to stop all illegal constructions in Anantnag district while hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking preservation of Pahalgam and its adjoining areas.
After the story was published, Hashim reached out to The Wire, saying that he had “requested the government in a letter (which has been seen by The Wire) to transfer me from Pahalgam to my home district for personal reasons.” The officer made the request more than three weeks after he was transferred to Pahalgam.
This story was first published at 6.10 pm on January 28, 2025. It has been updated at 4.55 pm on January 29, 2025.
