MCs' laxity in granting CLU irks industry
The municipal corporation (MC) of Ludhiana has come in the line of fire of city industrialists for putting hindrances in granting change of land use (CLU) in some areas despite the state government orders that no fee will be charged for this from the industry.
The municipal corporation (MC) of Ludhiana has come in the line of fire of city industrialists for putting hindrances in granting change of land use (CLU) in some areas despite the state government orders that no fee will be charged for this from the industry.
The issue has snowballed into a major controversy with many political leaders also trying to take advantage of the situation and wooing the city industry.
City-based industrialists rue that the officials of building branch were demanding “funds” for granting the CLU that was in sheer violation of the government orders in this regard.
President of the Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers Association Jaswinder Singh Thukral accused the assistant town planner (ATP) of Zone C, Surinder Singh Bindra, for not granting CLU to the industry that falls in his zone.
According to sources, at least 350 CLU applications are pending only in the Janta Nagar area for the past two months.
In a recent meeting with Hira Singh Gabaria, who is the chairman of district planning board, industry leaders accused Bindra of not providing them the CLU despite the government orders.
Thukral had also met the then additional commissioner Rishipal Singh, who headed the building branch, regarding the matter on September 15 and talked about the problems being faced by the industry in getting a CLU. However, Rishipal had been replaced by additional commissioner Neeru Katyal, who is not aware about the matter.
Without the CLUs, the industrialists are not able to get electricity connections from Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) which has further caused severe losses to them.
“There are many industrialists who bought machinery and took loans from banks but they are not able to get electricity connection due to lack of the CLU,” added Thukral.
The Federation of Industrial and Commercial Organisation (FICO) had also accused the building branch officials of not granting the CLU to them. “It seems that the MC doesn't want that industrial development should take place in Ludhiana,” said Gurmeet Kular, president, FICO.
Meanwhile, Neeru Katyal said she would take note of the problems being faced by the industry. “I will look into the issue so that the industry does not face any problem,” she added.
