Banwarilal Purohit: Stop illegal construction in Chandigarh, act against violators

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

Coming down heavily on illegal construction in the city, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit has directed the UT Administration to stop all such construction with immediate effect.

At a meeting with senior officers at the UT Secretariat, Purohit said no further illegal construction should take place in the city and, if required, the help of the police should be taken. He said action must be taken against the violators.

The instructions of the Administrator had been conveyed to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and the Estate Officer to prevent illegal construction in the city, said UT Adviser Dharam Pal. He said the Director General of Police had been told to provide force for assistance of the civilian staff, whenever required. Large-scale illegal construction has come up in UT villages and peri-urban areas in violation of the notified Chandigarh Master Plan.

Most of the construction has taken place in villages outside the Lal Dora, which separates the village habitation from adjacent agricultural land.

Political parties have been demanding the regularisation of construction outside the Lal Dora. In January this year, former UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had directed UT officials to bring a comprehensive policy on the issue. The extension of the Lal Dora or regularisation of illegal construction would be a key issue during the coming MC elections, slated for December.

The UT Administration has roped in the Indian Institute of Human Settlement, Bengaluru, to prepare a land pooling and aggregation policy. At a recent meeting, the Adviser had directed the UT Urban Planning Department to prepare a plan for the comprehensive development of the villages in the city.