12 TCP officials in dock for failing to check Kasauli illegal structures

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 22

With a fact-finding report indicting the role of 12 officials who had failed to check unauthorised constructions in the Kasauli Planning Area (KPA), the state government will soon chargesheet them.

Since an action taken report has to be filed in the apex court on October 25, the formalities of chargesheeting these officials have been completed, said sources.

A chargesheet would soon be filed against a district town and country planner, assistant town planner and town planner and other officials.

Minister for Town and Country Planning Department Sarveen Chaudhary said the file pertaining to this case had reached her and action would be taken against the officials.

The issue pertains to 13 hotels which had raised additional storeys without the approval of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department. The district administration had demolished all such constructions following the apex court orders.

These officials, who had been identified for this laxity, had earlier denied their role and a fact-finding team was constituted to assess the veracity of their claim.

They had been served a show-cause notice to explain their position by the state government. These officers comprise eight gazetted and four non-gazetted officials who were posted in Solan when the unauthorised constructions came up.

Those indicted in the inquiry also included two junior engineers who were serving the department on deputation. A period-wise and designation-wise fact-finding report had helped the state government to establish their laxity in this case.

With the apex court having taken a tough stance on the lax approach of the TCP officials, the government has been forced to initiate action against them.

To be chargesheeted

• The state govt will soon chargesheet them 
• An action taken report has to be filed in the apex court on October 25
• The issue pertains to 13 hotels in Kasauli which had raised additional storeys 
• The admn had demolished all such constructions
• A fact-finding team was constituted to assess the veracity of their claim
• The erring officials had been served a show-cause notice