Drive against illegal buildings halts

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 20

After the transfer of ATP Pardeep Sehgal, the MCB’s drive against illegal buildings seems to have been put on the back-burner.

Pardeep Sehgal and his team demolished some illegal buildings and colonies last month.

Following this, many local political leaders had complained against him and demanded his transfer from here. After his transfer to Ludhiana a few days ago, no illegal building has been demolished till date.

Many illegal buildings have come up in the city under the alleged patronage of political big-wigs.

Civic body officials fail to keep track of the unauthorised constructions as well as the visible deviations from the approved plans.

Once the building is constructed, officials slap a penalty and grant approval to the structure.

There are a few buildings, which were demolished during the previous SAD-BJP government.

Even notices were issued to the owners of these buildings. Now, these buildings are again being constructed under the patronage of influential people.

The MC is also suffering losses due to the construction of these illegal buildings as people are constructing them in residential areas for commercial purposes.

They are not even paying the CLU (change of land use) charges to the civic body.

Last year, a probe panel was constituted to investigate into the illegal buildings in the city, but no action was taken.

Councillors, who were members of the panel, said why they would take any blame for initiating action against anyone as it was not their job.

A list of 175 illegal buildings was tabled at a meeting of the MC. Later, Deputy Mayor Gurinderpal Kaur Mangat, who was heading the probe panel, asked the SDM to probe the whole issue.

Thereafter, the SDM wrote to Deputy Commissioner requesting him to direct the Municipal Commissioner to probe into the illegal buildings. The panel was dissolved without taking action and the probe discontinued.

City resident NK Gosian said the government should intervene and take action against illegal constructions going on unabated in the city as the MCB was not taking any action against the defaulters.

He alleged that it was going on with political patronage and active support of the MCB officials.