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148 commercial complexes under scanner

LUDHIANA: The Municipal Corporation has drawn flak from the state government (read the Local Government Department) for expressing its inability to carry out a survey of 148 commercial complexes located in the posh commercial hubs in Zone D which had not provided parking space as laid down in the building bylaws, or else the parking area was being used for other purposes.



Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, September 23

The Municipal Corporation has drawn flak from the state government (read the Local Government Department) for expressing its inability to carry out a survey of 148 commercial complexes located in the posh commercial hubs in Zone D which had not provided parking space as laid down in the building bylaws, or else the parking area was being used for other purposes. Trashing the plea of shortage of staff cited by the MC, the Local Government Department has directed that the building staff of the MC be deployed for this purpose and the survey be completed within the given time frame.

Responding to a complaint filed by president of the Council of RTI Activists Rohit Sabharwal against violation of building bylaws by 148 commercial complexes, the MC has written a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Local Government, Punjab, that the civic body is already grappling with a shortage of staff in the building branch. “The MC has just one assistant town planner (ATP) against the sanctioned posts of six while there are nine building inspectors against the sanctioned posts of 25,” says the MC.

The MC has urged that in view of the acute shortage of staff in the building branch, the Local Government Department should set up teams from other urban local bodies to carry out the survey of these show rooms where violation of building bylaws with respect to parking space was alleged in the said complaint.

The Local Government Department, however, disagreed with the stand taken by the MC and made it clear that the onus to stop unauthorised construction and take action for violation of the building bylaws was upon the local body concerned and not that of the headquarters. In his DO letter (No. CVO/2012/3003 dated September 14, 2017), the Additional Chief Secretary, Local Government, Satish Chandra has said the MC ought to deploy its own staff (the ATPs and inspectors) to take action against these commercial complexes.

“Survey and follow-up action against 148 buildings is not such a big task that the MC will not be able to do it.

The survey and follow-up action as per the rules be taken against these buildings for the violation of building norms by September 30, 2017,” says the CO letter.

In his complaint (filed in December 2016), Sabharwal had attached a list of 148 commercial complexes located in the upmarket commercial hubs such as Ghumar Mandi, Maharani Jhansi Road, Ferozepur Road, Model Town, Model Town Extension, Kochhar Market and Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar which have not provided parking space as provided in the building bylaws or in some cases the parking space was being misused for commercial purposes.

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