E-Paper
Five GMADA officials face notices over 96 pending service applications
The commission issued show-cause notices to the officials on August 20, seeking explanations for the pendency and warning that it could impose a ₹10,000 penalty per case under the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act, 2018
The Punjab transparency and accountability commission has issued show-cause notices to five officials of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) over the pendency of applications for notified public services, with 96 cases shown as pending at the applicant level during the period under review.
The commission issued show-cause notices to the officials on August 20, seeking explanations for the pendency and warning that it could impose a ₹10,000 penalty per case under the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act, 2018.
The notices, based on GMADA’s pendency dashboard for July 7 to August 7, 2026, flagged 27, 16, 30, 11 and 12 pending applications against estate office officials Sahil Grover, Umesh Thukral and Harpreet Singh, superintendent (estate office) Kulvinder Singh and account officer Niraj, respectively.
The officials have been given seven days from receipt of the notices to explain why action, including the proposed ₹10,000 penalties for each case, should not be initiated against them. They have also been asked to clarify whether any applications were kept pending because of repetitive, frivolous or non-substantive objections.
The applications pertain to GMADA’s notified property and estate services. GMADA’s official Citizen Charter lists services including permission for sale or transfer of plots/houses/commercial sites, conveyance deeds, no-dues certificates, duplicate documents, change of ownership, transfer of property following sale, gift or death, mortgage permission, NOCs, allotment/re-allotment letters and transfer of letters of intent. It also lists building-plan approvals, completion/occupation certificates and water and sewerage connections among its notified services.
The commission observed that such pendency in delivering notified services could amount to a violation of the 2018 Act, which mandates time-bound delivery of public services. In the notice to account officer Niraj, for instance, 12 applications were shown as pending at the applicant level.
The commission has taken suo motu notice under Section 16 of the Act, read with Rule 11 of the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Rules, 2021, over the alleged failure to deliver services within the prescribed timelines.
More significantly, the commission has raised concerns over the possibility of piecemeal objections being raised on applications, resulting in avoidable delays. Referring to Rule 5(2) of the 2021 Rules, it said designated officers cannot raise objections in a piecemeal manner and must communicate all objections to an applicant at the first instance.
The officials have been offered the option of a personal hearing through video conferencing. The commission has warned that if no satisfactory reply is received within the stipulated period, it will proceed with action under the relevant provisions of the Act.
Copies of the notices have been forwarded to the principal secretary, department of housing and urban development, and the chief administrator, GMADA.
