Reiterating the firm commitment of providing all basic amenities in the urban residential areas, Housing and Urban Development Minister Aman Arora said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Government will go extra mile to ensure state-of-the-art facilities in authorised colonies in the state.
The Cabinet Minister said that in the line of this commitment the state government will launch a new scheme and auction of various sites under Patiala Development Authority on this Independence Day.
Reviewing the functioning of the Authority at Patiala, Aman Arora assessed the actual status of the long-awaited project 'PDA Enclave Dhuri' and the PDA has acquired around 34.64 acres of land at Dhuri for the project and development works have been almost completed at the site.
Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Mr Ajoy Kumar Sinha and Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Administrator Patiala Development Authority Ms. Sakshi Sawhney apprised the cabinet minister that PDA will auction it's various sites on 75th anniversary of Independence Day.
The previous governments' lackadaisical approach towards bringing new planned townships in urban areas is the main reason behind mushrooming of illegal colonies and the haphazard development in the urban areas of state, which futher hindered the infrastructure development and people have to live without basic amenities, said the Minister.
The Housing and Urban Development Minister directed the Chief Administrator to start the allotment of residential plots in the PDA Enclave as soon as possible. Subsequently, the auction should be started for the commercial plots at the site.
The Minister appreciated the PDA for putting a mechanism in place for the issuance of NOCs to plots and buildings situated in unauthorized colonies. He was also apprised that PDA has introduced a single window system besides launching a helpline number 0175-5020555 in this regard for the convenience of the public. It was also brought to his notice that the PDA has a zero pendency on its online portal.
The Cabinet Minister also reviewed Rs.208 crore 'Rejuvenation of Badi Nadi & Chhoti Nadi', construction of Heritage Street around Qila Mubarak and other ongoing development projects of Patiala Urban Development Authority.
While lending sympathetic ear to the problems and difficulties faced by people & colonizers, the Minister said that Mann Government is committed to provide the best possible facilities to the residents of authorised colonies, while assuring the Resident Welfare Associations and colonizers to resolve their problems on the priority.
The Minister assured that all the issues raised in the meeting related to Omaxe PDA and other PUDA approved colonies will be resolved within three months.While talking to media persons, Mr. Aman Arora said that planned urban development is one of the priorities of the Punjab government.
He said that it is shocking that instead of prioritising urban development, nefarious leaders in the previous governments became developers and over 14,000 unauthorised colonies mushroomed in the state. This issue will also be resolved within the next few days, the cabinet minister added.
Replying to another media query, Mr. Arora said that in order to get feedback from people and further reforms in the department functioning, he has started the tour of Punjab today from Patiala. Very soon, the people will witness tremendous improvement in the condition of the cities of the state, he assured.
On the question about the welfare of journalists, the Information and Public Relations Minister Mr. Arora said that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy and the Punjab government is fully committed to the welfare of the media. He said that his doors are always open for the mediapersons.
The Minister for New and Renewable Energy Department Mr. Aman Arora said that there is a lot of potential in Punjab in the field of renewable energy and fulfilling the Union government's commitment to the UN, the state will soon become number one in Renewable Energy.
MLAs Mr. Ajitpal Singh Kohli, Dr. Balbir Singh, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Gurlal Ghanaur and Kulwant Singh Bazigar, raised problems faced by the residents in the colonies with their constituencies before the Minister on which Mr. Arora gave necessary instructions to the officials.