Constructions razed in 8 illegal colonies

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, August 6

Despite state government orders, unauthorised colonies are still coming up in the city. Deepshikha Sharma, Chief Administrator, ADA, said the regulatory wing of the authority under Gursevak Singh Aulakh, District Town Planner (Regulatory), had taken strict action against the builders of unauthorised colonies.

The regulatory team identified new unauthorised colonies that were being developed without permission of the competent authority at Tangra, Baba Bakala, Her, Gonsabad and Khairabad villages and on the Ramtirath and Loharka roads. The team demolished a few structures that had come up in these colonies.

Aulakh said an unauthorised colony that had come up at Muradpura village on Fatehgarh Churi Road was demolished. He said the owner was asked to provide an explanation about the unauthorised colony, but he failed to do so. He said action was taken under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995.

He said notices had been issued to some other colonies and if no satisfactory response or documents were received within the stipulated time, similar action would be taken against them under the PAPRA.

He said an FIR had been registered against the promoters of 47 unauthorised colonies so far. He said legal action could be initiated against a person building an unauthorised colony under the PAPRA, 1995 (Amendment 2014 and 2021), which includes Sections 3 to 7.

He said, “Any person who constructs an unauthorised colony can be imprisoned for up to one year and a fine between Rs 2 and Rs 5 lakh can be imposed on him. It’s time to make the general public aware that they should not invest their hard-earned money in colonies not approved by PUDA.”

The ADA has uploaded a list of unauthorised colonies on its website, www.adaamritsar.gov.in.