CVO team visits MC office, scans 3-year record of illegal buildings

A five-member team from the office of the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the Local Bodies Department visited the MC office to scrutinise records related to illegal constructions reported in the city over the past three years. The team also conducted field inspections and collected documents of 15 buildings from the Municipal Town Planning (MTP) Department.

The Vigilance wing had reportedly handed over a list of around 125 suspected illegal buildings to the MTP Department after receiving multiple complaints. All complaint-based cases reported between 2022 and 2025 across the city’s five constituencies are now under review. The renewed scrutiny comes barely two weeks after a building inspector was reportedly suspended for allegedly ignoring a complaint related to an illegal structure.

CVO teams had carried out a similar exercise around two years ago and have once again begun a detailed probe. Earlier in 2023, a CVO team from Chandigarh had visited the MTP Department and collected records linked to unauthorised constructions. Between January 2022 and now, 7,198 building plans have been approved in the city, of which 95 per cent are residential and five per cent commercial. Officials confirmed that 1,466 cases were flagged as irregular but later regularised after imposing additional penalties. On average, the MC receives about 3,000 residential building plan applications every year.

Vigilance officer Sunil Sharma said the team has taken significant records and surveyed multiple sites, adding that the team may need to revisit the city as scrutiny will take time. MTP official Narinder Sharma said all required documents have been provided and full cooperation will continue. “Whatever record is asked for is being supplied without delay,” he stated. Officials did not disclose how many illegal buildings are currently under the scanner or what action may follow.