Illegal CLU violators get long rope

LUDHIANA: The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), it seems, has given a long rope to owners of LIG (low income group) flats in Dugri Urban Estate, Phase II, here, who had converted their residential flats – fully or partly, into commercial establishments in gross violations of terms and conditions of allotment, which explicitly lay down that the residential flats could not be used for any other purpose.

Most of the LIG flats in Dugri Urban Estate, Phase II, have been fully or partially put to commercial use, in Ludhiana. File photo

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, November 7

The Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), it seems, has given a long rope to owners of LIG (low income group) flats in Dugri Urban Estate, Phase II, here, who had converted their residential flats – fully or partly, into commercial establishments in gross violations of terms and conditions of allotment, which explicitly lay down that the residential flats could not be used for any other purpose.

Information obtained from GLADA under the Right to Information Act by the Council of RTI Activists president, Rohit Sabharwal, has revealed that no further follow up action had been taken till date against 107 owners of LIG flats to whom notices were issued for illegal change of land use (CLU), that is commercial use of residential flats, way back in November 2018.

The GLADA authorities have intimated Rohit Sabharwal that flat owners put on notice for illegal CLU and violation of the terms and conditions of allotment, have now been given a final opportunity of defending themselves through personal appearance after putting an end to commercial use of residential flats.

“Non-compliance of the directions would be liable to penal action as per provisions made in the Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995,” say the final notices issued in October 2019.

It may be mentioned here that in response to a complaint lodged by Sabharwal regarding violations by the LIG flat owners that the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, had issued clear cut instructions through its memo (dated March 12, 2019) to GLADA authorities for taking action, as per rules, against the violators under intimation to the government.

Consequently, the GLADA authorities had got a spot survey conducted by the field staff and as a follow up action, notices were issued to 107 allottees of LIG flats to discontinue commercial use of residential flats within 15 days and report compliance of the directions.

Charging field staff of GLADA with taking ‘protection money’ from the owners of LIG flats and pushing the grave violations to the back burner, Sabharwal has said employees and officials of GLADA had failed to perform their bounden duty.

He has demanded a probe by the Vigilance Wing so that ‘conniving’ employees/officials could be exposed and proceeded against as well as directions to the regulatory body to take follow up actions as per law against the violators without any further delay.

Intimation to activist

The GLADA authorities have intimated RTI Activists president, Rohit Sabharwal that flat owners put on notice for illegal CLU and violation of the terms and conditions of allotment, have now been given a final opportunity of defending themselves through personal appearance after putting an end to commercial use of residential flats.