Mohali/Chandigarh, Feb 10: The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has identified 193 illegal constructions across SAS Nagar, following a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to address inconsistencies in official reporting.
The newly released figures, presented in an action-taken report dated February 5, include 28 previously reported violations in Siswan village. This comprehensive survey was initiated after the High Court noted a significant discrepancy between data provided by the Forest Department, which listed 182 defaulters, and GMADA’s earlier, more limited report.
“The Regulatory Branch of GMADA has conducted a survey of total 193 numbers of unauthorized constructions,” the authority stated in its report to the Bench. GMADA noted that legal proceedings have already commenced against the violators under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, and the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952.
The court had previously flagged the lack of uniformity in data during a January session, where a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Neerja Kulwant Kalson observed a “glaring inconsistency” between the different departments. GMADA explained that its initial figures were restricted to Siswan, while the Forest Department had looked at the broader district.
Authorities mentioned that the inspection process is far from over. GMADA told the court that the survey of unauthorized constructions on de-listed forest land within its jurisdiction “would be completed up to March 31 and appropriate action as per law shall also be initiated accordingly.”
The legal scrutiny is part of a broader effort to protect eco-sensitive zones in the periphery of Chandigarh. GMADA directly said that commercial activities and structures built without proper permits constitute a breach of the Master Plan. The authority noted that the Periphery Act remains strictly applicable to areas within ten miles of Chandigarh’s outer boundary, covering a vast portion of the Mohali district.
