Latest Property News on 'Chandigarh'

Punjab to set up Urban Devp Mission

Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has decided to establish the State Urban Development Mission (SUDM) an overarching body to direct policy and programme formulation for the holistic development in the state for full coverage of all basic amenities, recognizing contextual specificities of all cities.
A decision to this effect was taken by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal during a high level meeting of Local Government department held here at his office to review the status of various ongoing development projects.

Badal said that under this mission the state government would spend Rs. 8635 crore to provide 100 per cent basic amenities in terms of water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment plants, roads and slum development and housing for urban poor in all the towns of the State during next three years. He further said that Rs.1470 crore had already been spent on the various ongoing development projects in 81 cities. He emphasized that these ongoing works should be completed in a time bound manner and schemes for the remaining 60 towns should also be prepared for implementation as early as possible.

Emphasizing the need for the decentralization of power to further strengthen the Urban Local Bodies, the Chief Minister decided that all MCs of the State should be empowered to carry out their functions as per given statutes. He desired that statutory reforms by way of enactment of community participation, law and public disclosure law to improve the delivery of urban services and governance should be expedited.

Giving details of the various on going state wide projects Principal Secretary Local Government Suresh Kumar informed that for the 100 per cent completion Rs. 962 crore would be spent on water supply, Rs. 2667 crore on sewerage, Rs. 2300 crore on sewage treatment plants, Rs. 1476 crore on roads and parks, Rs. 730 crore for slum development and housing for urban poor and Rs. 500 crore for fire services in all the cities.

Assuring the Chief Minister of whole hearted development efforts of the Department, the Local Government Minister Bhagat Chuni Lal, exhorted the officers of the department to ensure quick quality urban services for the citizens of Punjab.

UT Estate Office show-causes 4 in booth scam

Chandigarh: Gives ‘undue’ beneficiaries 15 days to submit replies

The infamous booth allotment scam that had rocked the city at the beginning of 2011 and was subsequently raised even in Parliament after some influential names like those of of Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, former UT Advisor Pradip Mehra and former Mayor Pradeep Chhabra found their way into the inquiry report is far from over. The UT Estate Office today issued show-cause notices to four of the total of 88 beneficiaries in the booth allotment.

Those who have been issued the notices have been given 15 days to submit their replies. Officials in the UT Estate Office said that no specific criteria was followed in serving notices to these four and every day four-five beneficiaries randomly selected will be served similar notices till the entire list is exhausted.

Sources in the UT Estate Office said that the show-cause notices have been served, based on the allegations raised in the inquiry report. According to sources, records of all the 88 beneficiaries who were allotted the booths were checked thoroughly and then matched with the points of contentions raised in the over 700-page inquiry report.

An extensive report was submitted by former ADC P S Shergill in March 2011, who was directed to inquire into the matter by the UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil after several complaints were received regarding illegalities involved in the allotment of booths in Sector 41 market.

Speaking to Newsline, UT Assistant Estate Officer Rahul Gupta said, “We had been preparing the notices for some time after going through the records all over again along with the inquiry report. The notices are being sent as per the directions of the UT Administrator under the supervision of the Estate officer. Notices will be sent to all the beneficiaries in the days to come and once we get all the replies, the further course of action will be decided.”

It was following complaints from various quarters that Patil ordered an inquiry in March 2010 and the report was submitted exactly a year later. In his report, Shergill had said that the scam is worth crores of crores rupees and that the booths were illegally allotted to more than 100 people.

The booths were allegedly allotted to some affluent businessmen through the influence of officials on the basis of forged documents. According to Shergill’s report, in most of the cases the allotments were made defying rules.

The fraud allotment of booths was made particularly from 2002 to 2008.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/ut-estate-office-showcauses-4-in-booth-scam/900456/0

All new projects to be approved by heritage conservation body

Chandigarh: The UT Administration is all set to start the process of appointing members to the Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee. The committee, to be headed by the UT Adviser, will comprise conservationists, heritage experts, environmentalists as well as officials of different departments of the Administration. The approval for setting up of the committee was recently given by the Union Minister of Home Affairs.
The approval had followed a report sent by the Administration to the Ministry of Urban Development highlighting the measures that are required for conserving the heritage of the city. The committee constituted will thereafter outline the measures that are required for conserving the heritage of the city.

New projects for the city will be required to get approval from the committee. The committee will constitute new bylaws and regulations to preserve heritage buildings, tapestries, art, furniture and other items. Gradation of heritage value buildings will also be done. In grade one will be the buildings and monuments designed by the creator of the city Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. These will include the Capitol Complex comprising the Assembly, High Court and Secretariat apart from the monuments.

The other buildings will include those designed by the associates of these architects. There are proposals to give heritage status to Sectors 7, 8 and 22. The committee will look into the issues like low-rise development to maintain view of Shivalik Hills, height restrictions in Sectors 1 to 47. Playgrounds to be earmarked for children and regulated development across the city.

Over the past few years concern has been expressed over the deteriorating condition of the heritage in the city. The buildings have witnessed violations creeping in. Residents have made changes in the residential complexes and there are repeated demands for regularising these. The committee will now take a decision on all these issues.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/all-new-projects-to-be-approved-by-heritage-conservation-body/900505/0