The Punjab Transparency and Accountability Commission (PTAC) has imposed a ₹ 10,000 penalty on Amritsar municipal corporation commissioner Bikramjeet Singh Shergill for the excessive pendency of cases relating to the sanction of residential building plans and revised building plans, while simultaneously issuing him a show-cause notice on possible disciplinary action.
In a strongly worded order on Wednesday, the commission said 26 cases had remained pending beyond the prescribed time limit, amounting to non-compliance with the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act, 2018.
Shergill said he had not yet received the order from the commission. “As far as the reply to the earlier show-cause notice is concerned, I have already submitted my response, and there is no pendency,” he said.
The order stated, Shergill may seek a personal hearing through video conferencing. However, the commission warned that failure to submit a satisfactory response within the stipulated period could lead to further action under the Accountability Act. The sanction of building plans/revised residential building plans is a notified public service under the government’s February 5, 2019 notification, according to the order.
The commission observed that keeping applications pending beyond the statutory timeline constituted a “serious lapse” in the discharge of statutory duties. the commission said it was taking a “lenient and compassionate view” and imposed a penalty of ₹ 10,000 on the commissioner While noting that the maximum penalty could have been substantially higher if applied separately to each of the 26 cases.
