UT had turned down Uppal’s request to raise additional tower for EWS flats

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 8

A few months ago, the UT Administration had turned down the request of Uppal Housing Ltd. that had sought permission to construct an additional tower of EWS flats in Uppal Housing, Mani Majra. 

The fact came to the fore during the ongoing Vigilance probe ordered by the UT Administration. Sources said since the company had not constructed the 25 EWS flats, therefore, they had sought permission of the UT Administration to construct an additional tower of EWS flats as these could not be constructed in the existing towers. Thereafter, the UT Chief Architect last year, forwarded a letter to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to give their approval for the construction of additional tower, as the original allottee of the land was the MC. A senior UT official said the MC had not given its approval therefore in 2015, the Administration turned down Uppal’s request. The UT Vigilance Department is now probing why Uppals did not construct the EWS flats when it was part of the zoning plan. “

“The role of officials of the MC and the UT Administration, who turned a blind eye towards the non-construction of EWS flats in Uppal Housing is under the Vigilance scanner,” a senior UT official said. In the recent MC House meeting, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation decided to recommend to the UT Administration the initiation of criminal proceedings against officials of the Estate Office and the MC, who were held responsible by the CBI in a note sent to the Administration. The probe was in connection with the construction of the 25 EWS flats in Uppal Housing at Mani Majra in 2013.After the CBI communication to the UT Administration in 2013, the then UT Adviser, KK Sharma, had marked a probe to the UT Vigilance Department.