The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority is a government agency in the Indian state of Punjab.
It is a statutory body set up on 1 July 1995 under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, an enactment of the State Legislature of Punjab. PUDA is an apex body, responsible for the planning and development of urban and sub-urban areas in the whole State.
PUDA remained a lacklustre organisation, before a young and dynamic IAS officer of the State turned it, between 1999 to 2002, into a vibrant and cash-rich entity. No doubt, the buoyant real estate market during the period helped , but the initiative of the officer played the leading role. The IAS officer was the late A.S Chatwal. He committed suicied on the 26th of October.(PL CHECK: CHHATWAL WAS IN PUDA FROM 2004 TO 2006, NOT 1999 TO 2002)
Then, Sh. Som Parkash IAS was posted as Chief Administrator PUDA, the post he previously held from April,2006 to April,2007 during Congress Regime. In March,2009 he decided to resign from IAS to contest the Parliamentary Elections From Hoshiarpur on the ticket of BJP, which he lost by narrow margin.
Currently Sh. Sarvjit Singh Oberoi who was previously MD,Markfed Punjab is now Chief Administrator, PUDA
The iconic PUDA Bhawan-official headquarters of the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority, initiated by KBS Sidhu, an IAS officer, signifies the towering role of PUDA vis-a-vis Mohali