MUZAFFARABAD, March 5: The anti-encroachment staff of the Development Authority Muzaffarabad demolished a portion of an under construction building on Monday, causing a loss of more than Rs100,000 to the owner.

The step was taken although the owner, Bashir Ahmed Patta, a resident of the AJK capital working as a labourer in Saudi Arabia, had obtained no objection certificates from the DAM and the municipal corporation.

His relatives told newsmen at the Press Club that the DAM employees demolished the pillars of the third storey of their under construction house, without serving any notice on Monday morning, although the construction was initiated in accordance with the map passed by the municipal corporation and after obtaining NOC from both civic bodies.

They took some newsmen to the construction site near the accountant general’s office and showed the demolished structure.

Interestingly, the DAM authorities served a notice for the demolition at 5:30pm after they came to know about the newsmen’s visit.

The relatives of the owner alleged that the DAM employees had demanded Rs50,000 as gratification and demanded that the government should take note of the action and compensate them.