Pb local bodies dept to ink pact with remote sensing centre to curb illegal construction

The state local bodies department will soon ink a pact with the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) to curb rampant illegal construction, cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said here today.
He also said that a plan was being worked on to convert the nullahs flowing in the state's cities into green belts.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with remote sensing centre to curn illegal construction shall be initially for a period of five years, he told reporters.
The collaboration would result in game changing benefits namely satellite image-based mapping of unauthorized colonies, mapping of illegal construction, updated property and asset mapping of all corporations, councils and bodies under its control and development of a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) for effective decision making, he said.

It will also help in periodic updates for monitoring of the developments of areas falling under local bodies with comprehensive database and real time monitoring of construction activities, he said.
The minister said that e-governance concept occupied a special place in his scheme of things to ensure developmental journey of the state.
He added that 67 services would be brought under the ambit of e-governance this year and to give further impetus to this concept, an MoU would be signed tomorrow.
Sidhu said a team from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is coming tomorrow to further the agenda outlined in an MoU signed earlier regarding cleaning of of nullahs (Drains) in major cities of the state. These nullahs would be turned into green belts.