Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana August 21 Developers of illegal colonies all across the city are running for cover as the Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) has cracked the whip against unscrupulous developers for violation of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA). Criminal cases (FIRs) have been lodged against many developers while directions have been issued to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to disconnect power supply of some other colonies. Information gathered by social activist Rachpal Singh Gabria from GLADA and the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) who is also the Additional Chief Administrator of GLADA indicated that the office of ADC (UD) had written an official memo to Model Town Division of PSPCL to disconnect power supply of Smart City – an illegal colony developed at Mehmoodpura for violations of PAPRA and carving out a colony without license from the competent authority. Similarly GLADA officials intimated that complaints have been lodged with Dehlon Sadar and a few other police stations through the Commissioner of Police for registration of criminal cases against many developers of illegal and unlicensed colonies. Those being proceeded against included developer Balbir Singh (Smart City) Gurjot Singh who had carved out a colony on Dhandra Road Harbans Kaur (colony on Dhandra Road) and Jasveer Jassal (colony near Basant Avenue). GLADA officials made it clear that developers of illegal and unlicensed colonies would not be spared and action as per provisions of PAPRA including demolition of structures and registration of criminal cases would continue relentlessly to save the unsuspecting members of public from unscrupulous developers. A senior GLADA official said as per recent directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court registration of sale deeds in all illegal colonies across the state had been stopped for the time being and PSPCL had also taken a policy decision not to release new power connections in such colonies which were developed without valid license or permission from the competent authorities. “This is in the own interest of the members of public not to fall for false promises of developers of illegal colonies and not to invest their hard-earned money in such colonies” said the official.

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