E-Paper
Vigilance department directs ACS to conduct probe into illegal constructions in Ludhiana
The state vigilance department told the ACS to compare the number of new electricity connections issued by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited in the city with the number of building plans approved by Ludhiana MC from April 1, 2019, to May 31
Acting on a complaint filed against the building branch of the Ludhiana municipal corporation for its failure in acting against illegal buildings and causing loss to public exchequer, the state vigilance department on Tuesday directed the additional chief secretary (ACS) of local bodies department to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
The state vigilance department told the ACS to compare the number of new electricity connections issued by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in the city with the number of building plans approved by Ludhiana MC from April 1, 2019, to May 31.
Last month, a complaint was filed by RTI activist Rohit Sabharwal seeking action against the officials involved in the matter. The vigilance department has also sought an inquiry report from the ACS’s office.
In his complaint, Sabharwal had alleged that thousands of new electricity connections have been issued by the PSPCL from April 1, 2019, to May 31. In comparison to that, the building branch of MC had approved a lesser number of building plans and the number of challans issued against the buildings is also low causing loss of crores to the public exchequer. He had demanded that records regarding the electricity connections issued and building plans approved should be summoned from PSPCL and MC respectively.
Sabharwal alleged that the building branch officials failed to take action against illegal buildings due to ‘gratification’ or protection money given by the owners.
In February this year, the MC had also commenced a similar exercise. Then it t was said that the PSPCL had issued around 1 lakh power connections in the last three years and the MC had just approved around 5,000 building plans. But the exercise remained on papers and no action was taken against the officials.
