The Punjab government's decision, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, regarding development authorities will significantly contribute to the overall development of the state. This was stated on Sunday by Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO in a press release.
The Cabinet Minister said that appointing the Chief Secretary as the Chairman of all Local Development Authorities in Punjab will accelerate the approval process for development-related matters and directly benefit the common people.
The Minister added that, following the Chief Minister’s directives, state officials studied the reforms introduced by the Gujarat government in institutions like Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, as well as the models adopted by the Uttar Pradesh government in Noida, Meerut, Kanpur and Lucknow. After a detailed analysis of the impact of these models, the officials submitted their findings to the government. Based on these conclusions, a decision was taken to amend Section 29(3) of the Punjab Regional and Urban Planning and Development (PRTPD) Act.
He further stated that this decision will facilitate swift action on development matters involving key institutions such as the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), and Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), thereby benefitting the people of the state. This change will streamline the functioning of development authorities and ensure timely decision-making. It also marks a major step toward decentralization of powers.
The Cabinet Minister also highlighted that including departments such as Revenue, Industries, Water Supply and Sanitation and others in the decision-making process of development authorities will strengthen inter-departmental coordination.
Mr. Harbhajan Singh ETO strongly criticized the opposition parties for making baseless and misleading statements on this issue, accusing them of attempting to confuse the public for political gain.