Zirakpur: Mohali ADC finds seven illegal colonies in Zirakpur

Mohali additional deputy commissioner (general) Komal Mittal, who is conducting a probe, says despite repeated requests, Zirkapur MC is not cooperating in providing required documents

There are seven illegal housing colonies in Gazipur and Nabha areas of Zirakpur. These are the preliminary findings of the probe being carried out into the mushrooming of illegal colonies in the town.

Mittal said most colonisers have taken no-objection certificates for plots of smaller sizes and later merged them to raise high-rise buildings, which is against the regularisation policy of 2018. (HT File Photo/Only For Representation)

Mohali additional deputy commissioner (general) Komal Mittal, who is conducting the probe, has also alleged that despite repeated requests, the Zirakpur municipal council (MC) is not cooperating with her.

“I have looked into seven colonies in two areas so far. I found that they were constructed illegally. However, officials of the Zirakpur MC are not cooperating with us in providing the required documents. The complete report will be ready within a week,” said Mittal.

The inquiry was ordered after a joint action committee of local resident welfare bodies submitted a complaint about illegal colonies to the Punjab chief minister’s office in July this year.

Mittal said most colonisers have taken no-objection certificates (NOC) for plots of smaller sizes and later merged them to raise high-rise buildings, which is against the regularisation policy of 2018.

Also, most colonisers did not even leave space for roads earmarked in the master plan, constructing buildings there, she said.

Joint action committee president Sukhdev Chaudhary, who is leading the campaign against illegal colonies, said: “Colonisers are constructing illegal colonies in connivance with MC officials. If they hand over the documents pertaining to illegal colonies to the ADC, they will be in the dock.”

Girish Verma, executive officer, Zirakpur MC, said: “I have joined recently, and will find out that why the officials concerned are not providing documents to the ADC.”

According to the Punjab local government department, there are 59 illegal colonies within the Zirakpur MC limits even though sources say the number could be much higher. Most of these colonies were developed after the master plan was notified.

In February 2018, then Mohali ADC Charan Dev Singh Mann had also submitted a report, in which he cited alleged connivance between MC officials and builders as the root cause for the mushrooming of illegal colonies in Zirakpur. “The situation on the ground is alarming and the safety of buyers and their hard-earned money is at stake,” he had said in the report.

Even the Zirakpur MC House comprises mainly of realtors and colonisers. Of the 31 councillors, as many as 20 are into real estate.