The local bodies department’s principal secretary AK Sinha has issued a chargesheet against municipal town planner (MTP), Monica Anand, for allegedly failing to perform her duty to take action against illegal constructions, resulting in loss to the state exchequer.
The chargesheet was issued on December 2 and the MTP has been given a time period of 21 days to submit her reply otherwise action will be initiated against her as per the Punjab Civil Services (punishment and appeal) Rules.
Anand has been accused of allowing illegal constructions in Feroze Gandhi market, removing the seal from illegal buildings without getting permission from senior authorities, accepting part payment of change of land use (CLU) charges which are not allowed as per the rules, not responding to the show-cause notices issued by municipal commissioner regarding low recovery of dues, failure in the collection of regularisation fee and EDC charges from colonisers, producing file related to land given on lease to society cinema resulting in loss to MC, etc.
MC official requesting anonymity said that a chargesheet was recommended against Anand earlier this year. Recently, an MC committee comprising of councillors also raised questions on civic body officials for allowing illegal construction in Feroze Gandhi market.
{{/usCountry}}MC official requesting anonymity said that a chargesheet was recommended against Anand earlier this year. Recently, an MC committee comprising of councillors also raised questions on civic body officials for allowing illegal construction in Feroze Gandhi market.
{{/usCountry}}Despite repeated attempts, municipal commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal was not available for comment, while mayor Balkar Sandhu said that he has not yet received any official copy of the chargesheet issued against Anand.
Chargesheet issued against superintending engineer, two others
The local bodies department has also issued a chargesheet against MC superintending engineer Tirath Bansal, assistant engineer Ashwani Sikka and junior engineer Gurpreet Singh over inferior quality road construction work done in Sunil Nagar (ward number 94).
The chargesheet was issued in the last week of November. The officials have been held guilty for not taking action against inferior quality work and presenting a “false” report regarding the strength of the road.
The department stated that the MC officials had shown 100% strength of the road after the tests were conducted on the second and seventh days after the construction was completed. However, 100% strength cannot be achieved before 28 days of construction.