Mohindra orders review of policy

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 13

The newly appointed Local Bodies Minister, Brahm Mohindra, today ordered a review of the much talked about one-time settlement policy when Jalandhar Mayor Jagdish Raja told him that the policy had no benefit for the people and also there was resentment among residents regarding it.

The mayor reportedly raised various points regarding the policy with the minister.

“The policy was implemented but it was not fruitful. And now, the policy will be reviewed and changes will be made in it,” the mayor said.

Apart from this, the mayor also raised the issue that the online Naksha programme was not successful and was creating various problems to which the minister decided that the nakshas would be submitted online and offline both from now onwards.

Notably, the Department of Local Government had rolled out its ambitious flagship programme of e-Naksha in August last year but it had not gone well with architects as not even a single approval has been made online since its launch till December last year. The system has failed to attract applicants and architects.

The department had also planned to close the offline system from December 1.

In the beginning of the last year, the department had announced that the system would be introduced and people would be free as they would not have to follow the long offline procedure of getting their maps approved.

Apart from this, the mayor also told the minister about the pending water bill arrears. The mayor said the bills of factories, which had closed years ago, were being generated and the plots with 5 marla area were exempted from water bills but their bills were generated.

Apart from this, the minister has also written to the chairman of the PSPCL to release an amount of Rs 13 crore that has been pending with the MC, the mayor said.