Confusion over jurisdiction of PUDA-approved colonies

JALANDHAR: While the Punjab Government in a notification issued last year had directed PUDA to transfer its approved colonies located inside the municipal or panchayat limits to the respective Municipal Corporation MC or the Local Government it has failed to do so till date causing a lot of confusion among residents over the jurisdiction of their respective local body

Updated At : 07:23 AM Feb 03, 2015 IST

<p>A view of an illegal colony in Jalandhar. A file photograph</p>

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 2

While the Punjab Government, in a notification issued last year, had directed PUDA to transfer its approved colonies located inside the municipal or panchayat limits to the respective Municipal Corporation (MC) or the Local Government, it has failed to do so till date, causing a lot of confusion among residents over the jurisdiction of their respective local body.

The confusion over the area jurisdiction between PUDA and the MC was evident from the fact that the jurisdiction of Chopra Township that consists of around 17 colonies, spread over an area of 350 acres, falls under the MC.

Residents are consistently approaching PUDA on various issues pertaining to civic amenities.

According to Daljit Singh Sethi, president, Chopra Township Welfare Society, it is a PUDA-approved township and, hence, falls under the jurisdiction of PUDA. Even though PUDA has received the notification dated September 12, 2014, asking it to transfer the colony to the MC, instead of making the residents aware of the fact, it kept on redressing their various issues pertaining to civic amenities in the area till date.

Mayor Sunil Jyoti, too, showed ignorance about the matter. He said the MC would only issue licences to the new residential and commercial projects that would come up in the municipal areas. “We have got nothing to do with the old colonies. How can we take over any colony on our own? The coloniser has to first get a completion certificate from PUDA and then only we would proceed to take over the colony from PUDA,” said Jyoti.

Gurpreet Singh Khehra, Additional Chief Administrator, PUDA, said soon the process of the transfer of various colonies to their respective urban local bodies (ULBs) would begin. “Only those colonies that will get the completion certificates from us will be transferred to their respective ULB. Till date, none of the PUDA approved colony has so far taken completion certificate from us,” said Khehra.

Presently, there are around 76 PUDA-approved colonies in the district and none of the colony has got completion certificate till date, casing much inconvenience to its residents. In the absence of any local body taking over the maintenance from the coloniser, they are unable to provide any civic amenities to its residents so far.