Ludhiana mayor cracks down on illegal construction

LUDHIANA: A day after local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu suspended eight officials of the town planning department in Jalandhar for allowing illegal construction in the district, the Ludhiana municipal corporation has sprung into action.

Mayor Balkar Sandhu inspected 40 buildings on the Tibba Road, Gill Road, Shimlapuri and Tajpur Road, among other areas, on Friday. The MC has also directed owners of buildings to get their plans approved.

Major complaints of illegal construction come from the area alongside the main dump site on the Tajpur Road, Sarabha Nagar, Shimlapuri and Haibowal.

Sidhu, who had visited Sarai Lashkari Khan in Doraha on Friday, also warned of surprise checking in Ludhiana.

18 NODAL OFFICERS APPOINTED

MC commissioner Jaskiran Singh said, “As per the minister’s directions, the MC has deployed 18 building inspectors as nodal officers to check illegal construction. Nodal officers have also been deployed in other branches, including the bridges and road department, operations and maintenance cell and other wings of the MC.”

The commissioner added four nodal officers had been deployed in Zone A, B and C of the MC and six in Zone D.

Sidhu had added, “We are also formulating a one-time settlement policy. Regular inspections will be conducted and those guilty of dereliction of duty will not be spared. In Jalandhar, action was taken after rampant violations were detected. This could happen in other places as well.”

DSP TO KEEP TABS ON ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION

The local bodies department has directed the DSP of police wing of the MC to send a report on illegal construction, hoardings and encroachments.

The DSP has been directed to send the report in 15 days.

Sources in the department said Sidhu was also in touch with RTI activists in the city, who have been complaining about illegal construction for long.