Illegal colonies continue to proliferate unabated in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, June 4

Provisions made under the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA) have apparently been tossed out of the window and rules governing the development of residential, commercial and industrial colonies are being violated with impunity as more and more illegal colonies keep coming up all around the city.

Proliferation of illegal colonies is a clear pointer to the fact that Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has not been taking any action against developers and their unlicensed colonies.

At least half a dozen colonies and warehouse buildings were under various stages of construction on farm lands on the stretch of Gill village to Alamgir gurdwara, both within city limits. Outside the lands, land owners had raised structures and carried out internal development works in the colonies without obtaining any license or permission for land use.

Similar developments were taking place on Alamgir-Sarinh road, Jarkhar road and Sarinh-Ghawaddi road, where developers have advertised their colonies. Industrial buildings are also being raised on agricultural land on the main road from Sarinh to Dehlon.

In yet another case of development of illegal colonies, a city resident and social activist, Rachpal Singh, has lodged a complaint with the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, with copies to GLADA’s chief administrator regarding development of an industrial hub colony on Jaspal Bangar road without any approval by competent authority or obtaining change of land use (CLU).

He said in the complaint that slack enforcement by field staff of GLADA had given rise to such a situation and that unscrupulous developers were taking up development works in unlicensed and illegal colonies, which was leading to unplanned and haphazard growth all around the city.

The complainant demanded that enforcement mechanism of GLADA be ramped up and the field staff be made accountable for proliferation of illegal colonies all across the city.

GLADA officials, however, claimed that action as per law was being taken against development of illegal colonies. “At several places, structures have been demolished in illegal colonies and in some cases, FIRs have also been lodged against erring developers,” said the officials.