Vigilance team holds technical inspection of commercial buildings

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 3

Carrying forward the ongoing investigation against the alleged illegal buildings, flagged by Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Vigilance Department on Monday conducted a technical inspection of commercial buildings reported to have made glaring violations of the building bylaws.

A team of the local Vigilance officials visited many commercial properties, including Gulmohar, Virasat-e-Haveli, WJ Grand Hotel and Chunmun Mall, to check the violations made by owners.

Accompanied by over four technical officials, the department checked the building records and even took physical measurements at the sites.

The inspection, conducted over six hours, was done by a joint team of Vigilance and Municipal Corporation officials.

SSP, Vigilance, Daljinder Singh Dhillon, said the team on Monday inspected over 10 buildings.

“As the list is long, it may take a few days to prepare the final report,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jagdish Raja said the report of over 45 buildings were made and would be submitted to the Punjab Local Bodies Minister on Wednesday.

He said more time would be sought from the minister to prepare report of the remaining 48 buildings.

The Mayor, while expressing displeasure over the stern action against illegal buildings in the city, has asked the minister to clarify as to whether the action was restricted to Jalandhar alone?

“While the minister himself has sought a report from me to report about the violations in all 93 buildings, the Vigilance too has begun a separate enquiry into each of the building. Also, a majority of the staff members in the building branch were suspended. I had to rope in staff and officials from the B&R Department to prepare the reports. All these are only happening in Jalandhar,” said Raja.

He said Sidhu’s whirlwind tour had created an atmosphere of panic and anger among city residents.

“On the one hand, the state government is planning to introduce a one-time settlement policy for the illegal buildings and on the other, a whole month is left for the illegal colonies to get regularised. Then why such an uproar?,” asked the Mayor.

However, he accepted the fact that a majority of the buildings flagged by the minister were found to have made glaring building violations and could not be reviewed.

“The reports prepared by us of over 45 buildings showed that these needed to be demolished. However, I still feel that the government should wait for the implementation of the new policy before taking any such step,” he added.