Kila Raipur MLA Jassi Khangura today questioned the apparent personal interest of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in the Crown Town housing colony development on Pakhowal Road near here. Khangura has said that the CM appears keen to inaugurate it despite the fact that it did not have a mandatory approval from the Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA).

He has demanded a CBI inquiry into the entire issue, asking how the promoters, including former MLA Jagdish Singh Garcha, who happen to be close to the Chief Minister, managed to issue advertisements and book plots without the mandatory approval from the GLADA.

Khangura disclosed GLADA had complained to the Ludhiana police for registration of an FIR against the developers on August 28, but the police had failed to act due to pressure brought upon them by the government. Khangura said it was therefore necessary that the inquiry should be conducted by an independent agency like CBI which cannot come under the influence of the state government.

Badal was scheduled to inaugurate the colony on September 18 despite the fact that it was not approved. Subsequently, the inauguration was postponed to September 22. Khangura said he had learnt that the concerned authorities, at the behest of the Chief Minister, were undue haste in issuing the license to the colonizers, without following the norms.

The Kila Raipur MLA asked as to how was it possible that the colony could get approval in such a short time? The promoters had applied only about a week ago, after the media reports appeared about the Chief Minister coming to inaugurate an unapproved colony.

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