Greater Mohali development body ignore violations of building bylaws

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) has been ignoring violations of building bye-laws by the residents. Despite claiming to have issued notices to violators, Gmada has so far failed to take any action. The residents have been violating the building bye-laws and encroaching upon the government land with impunity in Mohali. The government departments concerned have been sitting idle and have not taken any concrete action till date. In June this year, the MC had conducted a survey and identified around 4,000 residents, who had violated the norms and had encroached upon the government land. No action had been taken against the residents. Recently, another such violation came to the fore in Phase III-A after which area councilor-cum-deputy mayor Manjit Singh Sethi lodged a formal complaint with the local bodies department as well as to Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, cabinet minister-cum-co-chairman of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada). Sethi alleged that following complaints, Gmada issued notices to the residents, but the matter seemed to have taken a back seat. Complaints have been registered against residents of house numbers 41, 42 and 43 in Phase III-A, where they have included the government land inside their plot by demolishing the back-side boundary wall. Manjit Singh Sethi said: "Complaints have been filed with Gmada, local bodies as well as Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa against the three house owners. They have made gross violation of building bylaws by demolishing the boundary wall and encroaching upon the government land. Notices have been issued as I was told by Gmada estate officer, but no action has been taken and residents are openly flouting norms." He said when the house owners were approached they claimed that they had taken permission from Gmada to include the land in their plot. Denying all such claims, GMADA estate officer (housing) Mahesh Bansal said: "There is no such provision in rules to give permission to include government land in a residential plot and to demolish the boundary wall. It is gross violation of the building bylaws and we will get them checked. Notices have been issued to such violators."