Local Government Department's online approvals caught in red-tape

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, September 10

In a classic case of red-tape, the Director, Department of Local Government, has created another level of clearance in granting online approval for change of land use and cases of regularisation of illegal colonies.

Bhupinder Singh, Director, who hasn’t been not well for the past one week, said there was no anomaly in the orders. The work of giving online approvals had been divided among

senior town planners.

In orders issued yesterday, Singh has designated three senior town planners at the departmental headquarters as competent authority for all categories of approvals for building plans, change of land use and regularisation of illegal colonies.

“There was no need to create another level of clearance as the cases were already coming to Senior Town Planner Kamaljeet Kaur, who was officiating as Chief Town Planner (CTP),” pointed out a senior functionary in the department.

Quoting April 2013 and June 2013 orders, the Director, in his orders, has stated that as per the government instructions, the senior town planners have to give approval for the technical advice in all cases. Three STPs — Gautam Kumar, Tejpreet Singh and Kamaljeet Kaur — have been allocated the urban local bodies divided into three zones.

If one goes by the order, STP Kamaljeet Kaur would deal with same files twice, one in capacity of STP and then in the capacity of CTP. Same is the case with Gautam and Tejpreet, who have been looking after the charge of other urban local bodies.