In its first meeting after reconstitution in November last year, the Administrator’s Advisory Council on Friday declared that plans were under way for formulation of new building byelaws for villages and giving temporary water connections to people living outside the lal dora.
UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit presided over the meeting held at Hotel Mountview, Sector 10.
Chandigarh mayor Anup Gupta, who raised the matter of village-specific building byelaws, said, “Since villages came under the jurisdiction of the Chandigarh municipal corporation, the current building byelaws do not do justice to the conditions in villages. This is causing major issues in getting building plans approved.”
UT adviser Dharam Pal said, “It is difficult to implement the current building byelaws in villages. There is a need to have new byelaws. The administrator asked for examining of adoption of new byelaws for villages, as the existing ones cannot be applied to them.”
Some villages in Chandigarh are within the sectoral grid and some are outside it. In both locations, large-scale unregulated constructions have taken place over the years. The authorities’ attempts at implementing the building byelaws in these areas have elicited opposition from villagers.
During the meeting, the mayor raised lal dora issues, particularly supplying water to residents outside the lal dora, to which the administrator urged solutions aligned with existing rules.
The temporary water connections can be provided on basis of an undertaking by the applicant that the connection would not entitle legality to their construction. Already, electric connection has been given to people living outside the lal dora.
H S Lucky, Chandigarh Congress president and member of advisory council, said, “There has to be a permanent solution for people living outside the lal dora. The administration should come up with a land pooling policy for their development. Regularisation can also be examined for constructions that have already taken place.”
Earlier in the meeting, the chairman of the 10 standing committees elaborated on their committees’ recommendations and deliberations. Action taken reports were also submitted.
Satya Pal Jain, former Chandigarh MP and chairman of the Social Welfare Committee, said there is need to increase pensions of old aged, widowed, abandoned and destitute. At present, pension is given at Rs 1,000 per month whereas in adjoining states of Haryana and Punjab, it has reached up to Rs 2,500 per month. The administrator assured the administration will be taking remedial steps in the matter.
Security measures and a ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ scheme were discussed. The next meeting of the council is scheduled for November.
