8 illegal colonies face GLADA’s wrath

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, March 9

The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) continued its relentless drive against illegal colonies under development on the periphery of the city.

A team of officials comprising SDE Sandeep Kumar Sharma and JE Gurcharan Singh carried out a demolition drive in eight colonies today. The operation was supervised by GLADA Estate Officer (Regulatory) HS Sekhon.

The GLADA team, with men and machines, targeted under-development colonies in Ayali Kalan, Chuharpur and Laadiyan Kalan villages, where illegal structures and boundary walls were pulled down, roads and streets were dug up, water and sewerage lines were pulled out and the developers were sternly warned against carrying out any type of development works.

According to Sekhon, GLADA field staff had taken action against 31 illegal colonies during this month and the crackdown against unscrupulous developers would continue.

GLADA Chief Administrator Parminder Singh Gill said the field staff of the regulatory wing had carried out a comprehensive survey of the area falling under the jurisdiction of GLADA to identify unlicenced colonies. “Developers of unauthorised/ illegal colonies will not be spared. Not only their internal development works would be demolished, but FIRs would also be lodged with the police for the violation of the provisions of PUDA Act,” he said.

He said as per the directions of the government, GLADA had asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited not to sanction any electricity connection, nor provide telephone connections in such colonies.

In addition, the government, at its own level, had imposed a ban on registration of sale/title deeds in illegal colonies, he said.