Cracking the whip

THE Local Government Department in Punjab finds itself stretched when it comes to coping with the growing challenges of urbanisation, creating infrastructure and providing services. The department has now acted decisively, suspending two officials for irregularities in projects at Zirakpur that allegedly led to an evasion of Rs 3.8 crore by way of levies. There have been charges of encroaching upon railway land in Patiala, with records revealing that the encroachment was not taken into account while clearing the change of land use provision.

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In terms of urbanisation, Punjab ranks after Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala are among its more urbanised districts, located alongside the transport corridor. These cities spur haphazard growth, leading to deficiencies in civic services like water supply, sewerage and solid waste management, along with housing, transport and roads.

With land prices and rents skyrocketing, there is rampant encroachment on public land and proliferation of illegal colonies, creating obstacles during demolition drives. The problem is exacerbated by lack of functional clarity and financial autonomy, with there being parallel participation of the state through parastatal agencies such as the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The local bodies are hard-pressed to raise resources, with the state exercising financial control. Ludhiana had accessed the capital market through municipal bonds, but raising taxes is difficult. There has been lack of autonomy despite legislative interventions and the punitive measure appears to be an attempt by the department to assert itself. In terms of decisive action, Punjab can take a leaf out of Kerala’s book. Under a special drive against illegal residential high-rises, the state government recently demolished four waterfront apartment complexes in Kochi, eight months after the Supreme Court had ordered that the structures be razed in view of violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.