· SEEKS UNIFORM BUILDING NORMS FOR WHOLE STATE
· SANCTIONS 190 POSTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT
· ORDERS STATEWIDE SURVEY OF ILLEGAL COLONIES
CHANDIGARH, MAY 15: The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today issued instructions for restructuring and strengthening Town and Country Planning Department to make it an effective instrument to translate Urban Development Policies of Punjab Government in its true spirit.
Presiding over a meeting of housing and urban development department in which Finance Minister Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal also participated, Mr. Badal said that haphazard planning, mushroom colonies in the peripheries of the cities, unlicensed colonies and differential planning norms for different cities were bane of urban development in Punjab. He said that to streamline the urban development in the state, we would have to strengthen town and country planning department besides giving it a enforcement and punitive powers.
Seeking uniform planning norms for whole state, Mr. Badal said that differential planning for different parts of the state, lax enforcement has resulted in mushroom growth in urban areas and it was imperative for us to regulate the growth and ensure uniform planning. He said that he has already issued instructions to segregate residential and commercial areas, strictly enforce Change of Land Use norms, and encourage planning of building as per norms and streamline the process of sanction of building plans.
Sanctioning 190 posts of Town and Country Planning Officers for the department, Mr. Badal said that all these recruitment should be purely on merit and recruitment process should be completed positively within 3 months.
Ordering statewide survey of illegal colonies, Mr. Badal said that we should strictly check the growth of illegal colonies and taken punitive actions against colonizers duping innocent people. He asked the department to take strict punitive measures against promoters such illegal colonies.
Prominent amongst those, who participated in the meeting included Mr. Rakesh Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab, Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Principal Secretary to CM and Secretary Housing, Punjab, Mr. N.S. Kang, Financial Commissioner Revenue, Mr. P.S. Aujla, Principal Secretary to Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Sarbjeet Singh, Chief Administrator GMADA and Mr. Gagandeep Singh Brar, Special Principal Secretary to CM.
