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PTU skill institute work back on track as govt remits ₹11-crore map clearance fee
In August this year, the executive officer of Chamkaur Sahib gram panchayat asked the PTU executive engineer to deposit nearly ₹11 crore as map clearance fee and three sets of the buildings plan with the local bodies department for approval
Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKG-PTU), Kapurthala, got the green signal for construction of varsity’s new academic institution, Guru Gobind Singh Skill Institute at Chamkaur Sahib in Rupnagar district, with the state government remitting nearly ₹11 crore map clearance fee.
The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had announced setting up of the skill institute in 2017. The PTU acquired 42 acres for the institute and the construction work started in April this year, but it came to a halt over the map clearance fee issue.
In August this year, the executive officer of Chamkaur Sahib gram panchayat asked the PTU executive engineer to deposit nearly ₹11 crore as map clearance fee and three sets of the buildings plan with the local bodies department for approval.
The PTU official privy to the development said that PTU registrar-cum-additional deputy commissioner, Jalandhar, Jaspreet Singh, raised the issue with the higher authorities, contesting the panchayat demand since the building had the approval of the chief architecture of the Punjab government.
“The university was to pay ₹10.81 crore as map clearance fee to the gram panchayat,” added the official. The matter was subsequently put before the director of the local bodies department.
On September 2, the director of the local bodies department issued a letter to all the municipal corporations and additional deputy commissioners (urban development) that they would not stop the construction of buildings whose maps were cleared by the chief architecture of the state government. He said the department has been preparing a separate policy for such buildings.
On September 3, the Chamkaur Sahib panchayat gave university the go-ahead to continue the construction work.
PTU registrar Jaspreet Singh confirmed the development, saying not only the university, but other government departments will also be benefited from the decision. “The need of the hour is to invest public money properly,” said Singh, while expressing his gratitude to the senior government officers who supported the university.
