Punjab Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today suspended eight officers of Municipal Corporation for alleged irregularities in construction of buildings.

The minister along with legislator Pargat Singh and officers of the local government department and the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar today inspected the under construction and already constructed illegal buildings in the city.

Senior town planner (STP) and two municipal town planners (MTPs) were also suspended.

Acting strictly against gross violation of building laws in the city, the minister then ordered the suspension of these eight officers and issuance of charge sheet against 10 officers of the civic body.

Mr Sidhu said that Senior Town Planner Parampal Singh, Municipal Town Planners Monika Anand and Meharban Singh, Assistant Town Planners Naresh Mehta and Balwinder, Building Inspectors Neeraj Sharma, Pooja Mann and Ajit Sharma have been placed under suspension, according to an official release.

Mr Sidhu said that charge sheet would be issued against 10 officers of the civic body.

He alleged that due to the connivance of these officers, a large number of illegal buildings have come up in the city thereby incurring a huge loss to the state exchequer.

The minister said that the department would lodge a case against these erring officers under relevant provisions of the law.

Mr Sidhu further said that charge sheet was being issued under Rule 8 of the Municipal Act, which may further lead to dismissal of these officers from the service. He said that even the assets of these officers would be probed and if any sort of discrepancies were found then these would be attached.

The minister categorically said that he would also take up this matter with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The minister said that it was unfortunate that instead of serving the people these officers were also serving the colonisers by facilitating them to cut illegal colonies.

Mr Sidhu said that the entire city has been divided into zones and officers have allotted sectors to ensure that no illegal building comes up.

PTI