HC seeks details of action against tainted officers

With Punjab and Haryana High Court calling for details of action taken against chargesheeted officers of building branch of municipal corporation (MC), trouble is brewing for the top brass of the branch that has been enjoying power despite being chargesheeted a number of times. Amar Vivek Singh, counsel of the petitioner, Rajesh Inder Pal Singh and others said the court has told the civic body to furnish details of action taken against officers who have been chargesheeted for irregularities in the past. The court order has landed the civic body authorities in an embarrassing position as in the last few years, vigilance cell of local bodies department has issued chargesheets against more than a dozen officials of the branch posted at key places for discrepancies in construction of buildings. Officers against whom the chargesheets have been issued include senior town planner (STP) Balkar Singh Brar, municipal town planner (MTP) Hemant Batra and SS Bhatia, assistant town planners (ATPs) Kanwaljeet Kaur, Harpreet Singh Ghai, Monica Anand, building inspector Aitbaar Singh, head draughtsman Madanjeet Singh and draughtsman Ashok Kumar. Action on these chargesheets continues to hang fire as owing to patronization of political leaders, these officers, who are facing charges of irregularities, enjoy plum postings in the civic body. Against ATP Kanwaljeet Kaur, four chargesheets are pending, three are pending against MTP Hemant Batra, two against STP Balkar Singh Brar, MTP SS Bhatia, ATPs Monica Anand and Harpeet Singh Ghai while one each is pending against head draughtsman Madanjeet Singh and draughtsman Ashok Kumar. However, despite such record of chargesheets, all these officers continue to be in positions of power, getting postings in the city. While Brar, Bhatia and Batra are retaining their posts, ATP Kanwaljeet Kaur was appointed at A-zone and Ghai at C-zone whereas Monica Anand is on long leave and has gone abroad. Official machinery under scanner l MTP Hemant Batra and SS Bhatia, ATPs Kanwaljeet Kaur, Harpreet Singh Ghai along with others, have been chargesheeted for discrepancies in construction of Leela Hotel (old name Walia Guest House) in the city l STP Balkar Singh Brar and building inspector Aitbaar Singh have been chargesheeted in a case of building violation in Janta Nagar l STP Brar, ATP Monica Anand and Harpreet Singh Ghai have been chargesheeted for alleged building violation in Model Town locality l ATP Kanwaljeet Kaur has been chargesheeted for alleged violation of building bylaw at Mata Rani Chowk. l ATP Kanwaljeet Kaur, along with others, has been chargesheeted in another case pertaining to construction of a building at Fountain Chowk that ignored bylaws l ATP Kanwaljeet Kaur, along with others, was suspended for allowing building bylaws violation at Hambra Road. However, later, all of them resumed their work. In a case of discrepancies in construction of a multiplex, MTP SS Bhatia, ATP Monica Anand, draughtsman Ashok Kumar and junior draughtsman Madan Jeet Singh were chargesheeted

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