Activist fires salvos at civic body over illegal construction of hotels

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 8

Social activist Mandeep Singh Manna, a former Congress leader, has alleged that the construction of illegal hotels has been going on in the city. He also alleged that owners of such hotels were patronised by a Punjab Cabinet minister. He, however, didn’t name the minister.

“Hotels are being constructed without obtaining certificates for change of land use from the civic body. Businessmen do not have any no objection certificate (NOC) or approval for building plan. The construction has been going on in broad daylight. Earlier, the Municipal Corporation issued notices to several illegal hotels and sealed more than two dozen under construction buildings,” he alleged.

He alleged that the owners of the sealed hotels restarted the construction work with the minister’s help. Manna also showed some of the official communication between the officials of municipal town planning wing where the building inspector wrote to the assistant town planner that hotel owners restarted the construction under political influence.

“The minister had claimed that the MC officials were not corrupt and there was no interference. The minister should clarify who is influencing the MTP wing to allow the construction of illegal buildings in the walled city,” he questioned.