HC notice to VB officials, Principal Secretary

[ganpat1956]

Express News Service

Ludhiana, April 25: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to Punjab's Principal Secretary, Vigilance Bureau Director and Chief Vigilance Officer following a public interest litigation (PIL).
The PIL, filed by a Ludhiana-based NGO, Resurgence India, had sought an inquiry into the role of government officials and municipal bodies in violations of building bylaws, land use policy, town planning and building schemes.

According to a report attached by the petitioner, 20 cases of violations are still pending against MC officials, while seven inquiries against the Vigilance Bureau officials have been closed for want of evidence.

The information on the pending cases and complaints was obtained by the NGO under the Right to Information Act (RTI).
The NGO stated that these violations, in shape of encroachments and illegal constructions, have taken place in the state over more than a decade.

The petition has sought directions from the Court for fixing the responsibility on the municipal officials and other supervisory authorities who allowed these violations to occur at such a large-scale in Punjab.

The NGO has also sought an independent inquiry into the disposal of all chargesheets against erring officials of the Department of Local Government, chief town planner and the municipal bodies in the State.

The petition highlighted that these officials had been chargesheeted for dereliction of duty, for being in connivance with builders, or for allowing violations of building by laws, land use policy and town planning schemes.

The petition alleged that the erring officials were either let off without punishment or with minor punishment.

In this light, the NGO urged the court to ascertain whether the inquiry officials and supervisory officials at higher levels of hierarchy were also involved.
HC notice to VB officials, Principal Secretary