PUDA’s advertisement challenged

Our Correspondent

Mohali, December 19

A local resident has challenged before the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services), Mohali, an advertisement issued by the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) for the sale of 417 residential plots on the Chandigarh-Kharar road.

The court headed by Jagroop Singh Mahal issued a notice to PUDA to file its reply on January 5, 2015.

Kulwinder Singh of Phase VI had filed an application against PUDA for the issuance of a misleading advertisement in order to sell its plots to the general public. The scheme will close on January 15, 2015.

As per Singh, he intended to purchase a plot and wanted to apply in response to the said advertisement. He visited the proposed site on the Chandigarh-Kharar road (NH-21) and found that the facts mentioned about the distance and time of the proposed complex from the bus terminal, hospital, Industrial Area, etc, were given incorrectly.

He said distance between Sector 17 and Sector 118 was 15.3 km, which took 28 minutes even if there was no traffic and by no means of transport can be covered within 15 minutes, as claimed.

Similarly, Ivy Hospital and Fortis Hospital were not within a radius of 5 km but these were 7.7 km and 9.7 km, respectively. He, therefore, alleged that it was an unfair trade practice.

He, being a prospective buyer, wanted that the advertisement be re-issued by removing the misleading information and pay him Rs 1,00,000 as compensation and requested the court to impose a penalty of Rs 20,00,000 for issuing a misleading ad.