PANCHKULA: The Panchkula municipal corporation has decisively moved to seal illegal hotels and commercial properties in village areas that lack the necessary permissions or Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals. This decision came during a revenue realization committee meeting chaired by Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal and Committee Chairman Suresh Verma.
To facilitate inspections, a building inspector and two assistant program officers (APOs) have been assigned the task of surveying the affected villages and compiling a report within a week. Properties found without approved building plans or CLU will be sealed, with applicable CLU charges to be collected from the owners. These properties will remain sealed until the fees are paid.
Additionally, plans are in motion to demolish 45 unauthorized farmhouses on Kot Billa Road within a week. These structures, reportedly used for illegal nighttime parties, will be dismantled following the issuance of necessary notices.
Outstanding Dues from Mobile Tower Companies
Out of 341 mobile towers installed in the city, payments are overdue for 137, including 42 from Indus, 33 from ATC, 36 from Jio, and another 36 from BSNL and Airtel. The total amount to be collected is Rs 3.62 crore. Towers will be sealed if the dues are not settled. Under the new policy, companies benefit from reduced fees but must convert overhead lines to underground cables; otherwise, the overhead lines will be cut off, as stated by the municipal corporation.
Removal of Illegal Advertisement Boards
The city has generated Rs 32.7 lakh from the auctioning of gantries for advertisement boards, with 55 more gantries listed for online auction. There are also ongoing efforts to dismantle large unipoles, especially those located near overhead electricity lines, to curb unauthorized advertising.
