Jamnagar City Wide Roads Plan Municipal Corporation News Gujarat India

The plan to widen a road in the erstwhile princely city of Jamnagar City has mired in controversy, with activists and locals accusing the local civic body of favoring the local builder lobby.

The matter has now reached the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission and the Urban Development authorities.

The Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) had, in November last year, proposed to widen the road from Havai Chowk to Mandvi Tower to check the traffic problem there. The civic body had invited objections from the people for the Development Plan to widen the road from 15 to 18 meters.

According to the protestors, the Standing Committee of the JMC, in its recent meeting, overruled their objections and decided to go ahead with the plan. Shailesh Mehta, who has objected to the plan, said: “There is no need to widen the road to solve the traffic problem, as it is a result of total mismanagement of resources. If implemented, the plan will affect nearly 1,000 people on both sides of the road and will partly demolish many age-old residential and commercial structures of heritage value.”

Mehta has also approached the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission claiming the development plan is violating his and others’ fundamental rights. Calling it an autocratic and atrocious plan, Mehta has urged the Commission to direct the authorities to scrap the project.

Also, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) — an organisation working extensively for the preservation of heritage in the country — has pitched in and registered its protest against the proposal.

Intach convenor of the Jamnagar chapter, Hershad Kumari, who is a direct descendant of the erstwhile king of Jamnagar state — Jam Ranjitsinh — has written to the Urban Development Department (UDD) to direct the JMC to revise its plan.

In her letter to the UDD, she stated, “What is needed is traffic and parking management, not only on this road (Havai Chowk to Mandvi Tower) but all over Jamnagar.”

Objecting to the demolition plans of JMC and emphasizing the heritage value of the city, she stated: “All this demolition and unplanned exercises are destroying this historic city, which offered us a century ago a prime example of sustainable town planning displacing residents without proper planning or reasoning is offensive and entirely undemocratic. It is only servicing a building lobby.”

Reacting to the objections, Jamnagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner P Swaroop said: “I have received a representation from local merchants against the widening plan. Before finalizing it, I will go to the spot. I cannot say anything on the allegations unless I personally visit the spot.”

Jamnagar City Railway Station History – may soon be develop

As we all kathiyavadis know that in Saurashtra Region, City Railway Station play main role for tourism and now It will be prove also by Jamnagar Railway Station which among the oldest in India and a unique cultural heritage of Gujarat — might soon be home to a new hotel or multiplex.

Yes, this news is really true we will soon get old (Junu)Jamnagar Railway Station as new one because the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) of the Ministry of Railways has invited applications for pre-qualification bids from real estate developers.

Now if I am talk about History of Jamnagar Railway Station then, was built in 1897 and is known for its Victorian architecture — complete with imperial waiting rooms for the royal travellers — which included the rulers of erstwhile Saurashtra, also facilitated the transport of goods in the region.

The first train journey took place from Jamnagar City to Rajkot City in 1897, in 1922; the station was given the name of Jamnagar Rail with the addition of tracks connecting the last taluka on the western coastline at Okha.

The Indian National Trust of Art and Culture Heritage means INTACH Chairman and princess of erstwhile Jamnagar state Harshadkumari Ba said in her interview that, “for 15 years, INTACH fought to preserve and revive this site, which was inherited by Western Railway, but in vein.” INTACH and the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation (JMC) had made a couple of proposals to preserve a part of the old building, especially the Darbar Hall, as also make an interpretation zone featuring the art, culture and history of Jamnagar to the Railway authorities.

Harshadkumari Ba also said that, “But the proposal was rejected every time as the Indian Railways authorities did not agree to allot land at the minimal price. The Railways wanted to sell it at the market rate, which was not affordable for INTACH and JMC. But with the Railways inviting tenders, INTACH will make a last attempt to prevent the commercialization of the place. The station was a mode of communication and transport for the various kingdoms in Saurashtra.”