Mohali, May 19 -- Despite the Punjab government's repeated claims of cracking down on unauthorised colonies, nearly 15 illegal colonies have cropped up in Mohali in areas governed by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) over the past eight months - in brazen violation of land-use norms, right under the nose of the authority.

Worse, the illegal settlements have been blossoming even after a state-level directive to monitor such activity using satellite imagery and submit quarterly reports on enforcement.

These colonies - spread over about 50 acres in Sectors 120 to 123, covering villages like Daun, Raipur, Behlolpur, Barmajra, Tarauli and Jhampur - have been carved out of agricultural land, bypassing the mandatory Change ...