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ADC starts probe on ‘illegal colony’ coming up in Zirakpur
The ADC said plaints have been received that the builder sold plots before acquiring requisite permits, latter says no plot has been sold yet; the investors were allegedly told to pay 15% of the amount in cash and 10% through cheque in the name of MU builders and promoters
Additional deputy commissioner (urban development) Pooja S Grewal has initiated inquiry against an “illegal colony” coming up on 50 acres near two villages -- Chhat and Rampur Phuda -- of Zirakpur following complaints that requisite permissions had not been acquired before selling the plots here.
As per sources, the builder has sold residential plots on 20 acres, at a cost of ₹43,000 per square yard, but neither was a change-of-land use (CLU) permit been acquired nor was the layout plan submitted to the authorities concerned for approval. The investors were allegedly told to pay 15% of the amount in cash and 10% through cheque in the name of MU builders and promoters.
As per the Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) norms, no builder can sell plots unless they obtain a registration number from RERA. CLU and licence-to-sell is also mandatory.
ADC Pooja S Grewal said, “We got complaints regarding the illegal colony. I am conducting an inquiry and soon the fact-finding report will be submitted. In case, the builder is guilty of illegally carving out the colony, strict action will be taken.”
When contacted, builder Pawan Kumar Bansal said, “I have just started carving out the colony and not sold any plot.”
Zirakpur builders association president Harish Gupta said, “I am not aware of this development but builders should take permission before selling plots. We don’t want the public should suffer.”
President of the joint action committee of Zirakpur residents’ welfare association Sukhdev Chaudhary said, “We want the state government to intervene. People of the region have already suffered as GBP builders have fled the country, dashing the hopes of around 2,500 allottees who have invested over ₹1,500 crore in the group’s commercial and residential projects in Mohali.”
Last August, the then additional deputy commissioner (general) Komal Mittal conducted a probe into the construction of illegal colonies in Zirakpur and found seven illegal housing colonies in Gazipur and Nabha areas, but no action has been taken yet.
