GLADA’s plea to refuse power connections to illegal colonies

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, January 7

In a bid to rein in unscrupulous developers from carving out new colonies in violation of the provisions made under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has asked the Chief Engineer/Central Zone, PSPCL, in Ludhiana and officials of the distribution wings in Moga, Ferozepur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (areas under administrative jurisdiction of GLADA) not to provide any electricity connection to colonies or plots and properties in such colonies without “no objection certificate” (NOC) from GLADA.

In a DO letter to heads of the distribution wings of the PSPCL in Ludhiana and other districts/sub-divisions under its jurisdiction, the GLADA Chief Administrator PS Gill has quoted Section 20, sub-section (2) of PAPRA 1995 (Amended Act 2014) which says – “No department of the Central Government or the state government or authority or municipality or board shall sanction any building plan, give water connection, sewerage connection, telephone connection or electricity connection to any building or land situated in a colony or building in respect of which licence has not been obtained from competent authority.”

The GLADA CA has further cited the policy for the regularisation of unauthorised colonies and plots which has provided in Section 23 Provisions to control future development of unauthorized colonies (iv) – “Besides the abovesaid measures, no water supply, sewer or electric connections will be allowed and no sub-registrar/joint sub- registrar shall register their sale deed or any other documents regarding the sale of the unauthorised plot or building or colony.”

It has been further asserted by the GLADA chief that as per the provisions of PAPRA and the policy for the regularisation of colonies, plots or properties, no electricity connection could be given to any colony, building or plot for which licence has not been granted or building plan has not been approved by the competent authority. As electricity connections were being issued to illegal colonies and buildings without demanding NOC from GLADA, the unauthorised colonies and buildings were proliferating.

“This practice needs to be stopped forthwith. Directions be issued not to allow any new electricity connection in such illegal colonies or buildings and further if such connections have already been granted, these ought to be disconnected,” urged the GLADA Chief Administrator.

The PSPCL officials, however, were not very keen on obliging GLADA in this regard with the plea that the issue, being a policy matter, needed to be settled at the government level. “As per the government directions, all restrictions on the grant of the domestic electricity connections have been withdrawn and the PSPCL was not in a position to refuse, reject or put condition on new electricity connections in domestic category,” said a senior PSPCL official.