Has govt opened a Pandora’s box?

The finance committee would comprise of the mayor,municipal commissioner and a councillor who can take a final call to push through a CLU proposal. To prevent delay by “lack of unanimity”,even one councillor would suffice in the finance committee.

“These so-called urban reforms will lead to a urban mess. It would dismantle planned development and schemes. The rationale of the change of land use is to discourage unplanned development. This decentralisation of power just months before polls is aimed at benefiting those waiting to get a change of land use in cities such as Jalandhar,Amritsar,Ludhiana and Bathinda before the change of guard in the state. By short-circuiting the process,influential people will manage to get the CLUs at the level of the mayor or the municipal councillor,” a senior BJP leader said.

The Punjab Colonisers and Builders’ Association too had put in a word of caution. “Cutting red tape is a welcome move but it should not happen at the cost of accountability and misuse. This way,many commercial buildings in residential areas will be allowed to come up at the discretion of those heading the municipal body and many existing ones will also be regularised. Other than the danger of misuse,the higher ups in the government will escape accountability and the axe will fall on the municipal commissioner,” said Anil Chopra,chairman,Punjab Colonisers and Builders’ Association.

However,Punjab Industries and Local Bodies Minister Tiksan Sud says earlier the file moved to the government and back to the municipal body resulting in unnecessary delay. “For bringing up a commercial building in a residential area,the file kept travelling for months for a CLU. Now the finance committee of the municipal body can decide on the matter. As to whether it is good or bad,we will have to wait and see,” he said.