Ludhiana: Builders Escaped! Leaving Homeowners in Distress!

Trouble brews in Ludhiana as builders escape punishment, leaving innocent homeowners distressed.

Builders in Ludhiana are causing trouble for homeowners as they evaded punishment for constructing illegal colonies. Despite promises from the civic body to take action against unauthorised developers, significant progress has yet to be made.

Since 2018, a total of 188 illegal colonies applied for regularisation under the civic body's policy, but only a few have been granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs). The remaining colonies are still under scrutiny, and the developers must pay around Rs. 14 crore to the civic body. Efforts to recover these dues have been unsuccessful so far.

The civic body attempted to register FIRs against the defaulters but faced difficulties identifying the developers responsible for the illegal colonies. Even when the culprits are known, there is often little follow-up, allowing the developers to escape legal consequences, leaving homeowners to bear the brunt.

To recover the outstanding dues, officials now plan to attach or seal the properties these developers own. Municipal town planner Rajnish Wadhwa stated that efforts to contact developers who have not cleared their dues have been met with silence. The government's instructions are awaited to take action on previous colonies.

Residents of these unauthorised colonies face numerous hardships. Rajkumar, a resident of an illegal colony on Jassian Road, shared his experience of being unable to move into his house due to a lack of electricity connection in 2022. Even after finally obtaining a connection, issues like low voltage, poor water supply, and bad roads persist, depriving them of basic amenities.

The denial of electricity connections in these colonies forces people to rely on unsafe methods like unauthorised electrical connections. New plots are not being regularised, and obtaining NOCs for old ones is proving challenging. While electricity connections are slowly being provided, the long waiting list is causing delays.

So, the situation calls for urgent action to ensure the safety and well-being of homeowners living in these unauthorised colonies.