CHANDIGARH: Astonished by the state govt’s failure to conduct a survey on unauthorised colonies in Ludhiana over the past seven years, Punjab State Chief Information Commissioner Inderpal Singh has directed the authorities to conduct an assessment of illegal residential, industrial, and commercial colonies in the district.
The directions — aimed at preventing further financial losses to the state exchequer — come while disposing of a case filed by a Ludhiana resident. The man had sought specific details regarding unauthorised colonies under the Right to Information (RTI) Act but was denied adequate responses from the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (Glada).
During the last hearing, the appellant informed the commission that Glada merely referred him to its website instead of providing a specific list of illegal colonies in Bhamia Kalan village. He argued that it was impractical for an ordinary citizen to sift through extensive data to identify a particular area’s details. He further highlighted that crucial information regarding the extent of unauthorised colonies, illegal industrial setups, and industrial units operating with or without Glada’s no objection certificate (NOC) was not provided.
In response, a Glada representative maintained that the information sought was already accessible on their website. The department cited a survey conducted in 2018 as the only available official data on unauthorised colonies. The official also stated that no additional records existed beyond what was disclosed online and urged the commission to close the case, asserting compliance with Section 4 of the RTI Act.
The commission noted that, regarding the information, no further directions could be issued to the respondent as they clearly stated that no additional records were available to be provided and the respondent had already disseminated the information on their website in compliance with Section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005. However, the commission expressed concern over the lapse, emphasising that transparency and accountability are core principles of the RTI Act. It noted that while a survey on unauthorised colonies was conducted in 2018 and made available online, no further assessment was carried out since then. The commission observed that the RTI application suggested the presence of illegal industrial colonies in Bhamian Kalan, Ludhiana East, and the possibility of industries operating within them without the required NOC/CLU approvals.While disposing of the case, the commission asked the principal secretary, department of housing and urban and chief administrator, Glada, Ludhiana, to look into the matter and take an appropriate decision to conduct the survey of illegal residential/industrial/commercial colonies of Ludhiana district to save the state exchequer.
