RTI report: Govt yet to collect Rs 154 crore from colonisers in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 22

The Amritsar Development Authority will collect Rs 154 crore pending amount from private colonisers for licensed colonies. This was revealed through an RTI application filed by Suresh Sharma, an RTI activist.

Sharma had filed an RTI application in June 2022 about the arrears of licensed colonies in Amritsar. The facts that emerged from the information received were surprising. The ADA said Rs 154.43 crore were due with 35 licensed colonies in the district. Only the first instalment had been deposited by these 35 colonies to apply for the licence. After that, neither any instalment was deposited by the colonisers nor any action had been taken by the department.

The RTI activist said after he filed an RTI application, the department woke up from its deep slumber and suddenly 35 colonies were put in the defaulters’ list and DC office was asked to block the registration of plots in colonies.

Sharma said the connivance of the officials of ADA should be investigated. “In a letter written to the Deputy Commissioner to stop the registration of plots, only the names of the colonies have been written by the ADA. Without Khasra numbers of colonies, the registrations of plots would not stop,” said Sharma.

“There is a big scam in the ADA. I will bring the matter to the notice of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Urban Development Minister Aman Arora, so that FIRs are registered against the officials and colonisers and government recovers Rs 154 crore,” said the RTI activist.