Punjab Local Govt officials in trouble for not acting against erring builders

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, December 22

Several officials of the Local Government Department are set to face action for failing to act against builders, who illegally sold independent floors in residential units, otherwise approved by the department as single units under the ‘ground plus two floors’ and ‘stilt plus three floors’ category.

Registration continued

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• The registration of these illegally constructed independent floors on individual plots continued unabated
• Such floors are being constructed by builders in Zirakpur, Mohali, Kharar, Ludhiana and other towns and sold to gullible investors

Due to delay in acting against erring builders, hundreds of non-compoundable violations have occurred in projects over the years, putting gullible investors at risk.

Taking a serious note of lack of supervisory role to check the violation of the Municipal Building Bylaws in respective urban local body (ULB), the department has initiated the process of seeking explanation from officials concerned.

The supervisory role to check the violation lies with draughtsman, inspector, assistant town planner and municipal town planner and engineer.

The officials, including some at the state headquarters, failed to respond in the past to the violations despite the Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) repeatedly writing to the Local Government since 2019. The last communication from RERA to the department was early this year.

Local Government Minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjer said, “When the issue came to my notice, relevant orders to ban the approval and sale of independent floors by builders under the garb of individual plotting have been issued. Explanation from erring officials is also being sought.”

There are separate norms in the building bylaws for developing independent floors. As per these bylaws, independent floors are to be considered as per group housing norms. Even charges such as external development, change of land use and processing fee are to be levied as applicable to group housing projects.