Explainer: Why the uproar over who calls shots in urban planning in Punjab
The Council of Ministers’ decision to amend the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development (PRTPD) Act, 1995, has triggered a political storm, with the Opposition leaders, cutting across political lines, terming the amendment an attempt to strip the powers of the Chief Minister.
According to the Congress, BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, the move to replace the Chief Minister as chairman of urban development authorities and vesting the powers with the Chief Secretary is proof that the powers of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann have been curtailed, and are being taken over by the AAP top bosses.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party, however, says the decision is aimed at speeding up development works and that such an arrangement is followed in several states. The Punjab government, it adds, has done a comprehensive review of models nationwide where such bodies are headed by IAS officers or ministers, as in Ahmedabad, Noida, Kanpur and Bengaluru.
Moreover, it points out, the Chief Minister, by virtue of being the chairman of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority, will have the final say in grant of approvals. “It is just a way of redistribution of work to expedite development works,” reasons AAP state president Aman Arora.
What’s at stake
There are eight urban development authorities in Punjab — the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority, Jalandhar Development Authority, Patiala Development Authority, Amritsar Development Authority, Bathinda Development Authority, Dera Baba Nanak Urban Development Authority and Sri Anandpur Sahib Urban Development Authority.
Contours of decision
The Council of Ministers approved the amendment to Section 29 (3) of the PRTPD Act, which specifies that the Special Urban Planning and Development Authority shall consist of a chairman, a chief administrator to be appointed from amongst officers of the state government, and other members, not exceeding 10, to be appointed by the state government. This section specifies that the chairman will be appointed by the state government. For as long as the Act has been in place, the Chief Minister has been the chairman. The amendment now paves the way for the Chief Secretary to be appointed as chairman.
Why the change
AAP state president and Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora attributes the change to ensure that delays in development works are removed. “The CS will approve the proposals, but it will still come to the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority and later to the Cabinet for final nod. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is the chairman of PUDA and head of the Cabinet. So the final nod will be his. Where is the question of undermining his authority?”
Political considerations
There are eight urban planning authorities, but officials point out that these have inconsistent structures. Moreover, the Chief Minister, because of other exigencies of work, could not hold the meetings of these authorities for months at a stretch.
For some development authorities, like Dera Baba Nanak, not a single meeting has been held in the past three years. With just 21 months left for the Assembly elections in 2027, the AAP government is in a hurry to carry out development works. The Deputy Commissioners and Municipal Commissioners will be included as members, according to AAP leaders, to ensure that local matters are resolved efficiently at the authority level itself.
Punjab