CVO inspects JIT projects, illegal buildings

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 18

The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) for Local Bodies Government Sudeep Singh Manik today conducted the inspection of various projects of the Jalandhar Improvement Trust (JIT) and also some illegally constructed buildings in the city.

The team arrived at the JIT office at around 10 am and inspected the files of the 94.97 acres colony at Surya Enclave Extension. The team then met allottees of the plots and heard their grievances. They were told that though the scheme was launched in 2011, a majority of them had not been given the possession of plots till date.

Also, residents slammed the JIT for not providing civic amenities at the colony even though litigation pertaining to the scheme ended in favour of the JIT in 2016. They said due to the abandoning of the project by the JIT, the place had turned into a garbage dump for the residents and the Municipal Corporation tippers were dumping the entire city waste in the area. Some even complained that plot holders were paying up to a lakh to remove the garbage from their plots.

The CVO asked the JIT officials to prepare a report on the scheme, its planning and cause of delay and submit it to him by Monday. Officials were also directed to hold a review meeting with the allottees.

Next, the team went to Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave in Salempur Musalmana. The colony, spread in an area of 13.97 acres, was launched in 2008 by the then Local Bodies Minister Late Chaudhary Jagjit Singh in the memory of his father late Master Gurbanta Singh. Around 888 two BHK flats were allotted, but till date no one has taken possession of the flats due to the lack of civic amenities.

“How can we stay there as there is no electricity, roads, street lights and water and sewerage connections? We had even approached Chaudhary Santokh so many times on the issue, but no action has so far been taken into the matter,” said Raman Kumar, an area resident.

Residents told the inspecting team that though a 40-foot approach road was promised at the venue, it was only 15-foot wide. They said the trust authorities had ditched them by giving wrong information about the site.

Later, many area residents also reached the JIT office and created ruckus for not informing them about the visit. They claimed that when they met CVO Manik later at the MC office, they were informed that though the team had asked the local MLA Bawa Henry to inform the allottees, later he did not take their call. On knowing this, the area residents went to the JIT and slammed them for not informing them about the visit.

Next the team arrived at the Municipal Corporation office and held a meeting with Additional Municipal Commissioner Jasvir Singh Heer and also with other officials of the MC.

The team met the officials and inquired them about the details of properties under encroachment and also made illegally. Sources also said that the team also inquired from them details about the various Central government schemes and the mode to address public grievances.

Following this, the team also visited some of the sites that were allegedly constructed illegally. To begin with, the team went to Care max hospital of Dr Raman Chawla and inspected the hospital building, including the parking space. The team also visited many other buildings constructed illegally in the city.