Just a day after hoardings were put up at several unlicensed/illegal colonies on the periphery of the city at different places, a team of Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) officials today carried out a demolition drive at some two dozen colonies in eight villages.
Complying with the office order issued by GLADA Additional Chief Administrator (ACA) Shikha Bhagat (on March 17) to demolish structures and internal development works in identified illegal colonies, a team of officials of the regulatory branch of GLADA razed structures in 23 colonies being carved out at Bajra, Kanija, Noorwala, Dheri, Mangat, Kakowal, Sujatwal and Kasabad villages on the left hand side of the Ludhiana-Rahon road.
The demolition drive was supervised by GLADA Estate Officer Peetinder Singh Bains with the team of officials, which included Suraj Manchanda, Divleen Singh and Jatinderpal Singh, all SDOs, and JE in-charge of the area Sangarsh Maur.
Meanwhile, ACA, GLADA, Shikha Bhagat observed in her office order (issued on March 17) that, “since notices by SDOs concerned were already issued to illegal colonies being developed in nine villages on the Ludhiana-Rahon road under the provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Development Act 1995, therefore, directions are hereby issued by the competent authority to SDOs (Regulatory) concerned to carry out demolition in these colonies under Section 19 of the PAPRA Act.”
The ACA made it clear that GLADA would continue the demolition drive relentlessly and colonies being carved out in violation of the PAPRA Act would have to face the music. She advised the public to remain cautious against unscrupulous developers and not to invest their hard-earned money in purchasing plots/properties in unlicensed colonies.