Officials named, shamed for illegal constructions

SHANGHAI - Some 88 local officials in Pizhou of East China's Jiangsu province have been named and shamed for constructing illegal buildings in a bid to get more compensation in future demolition projects.

Starting in January this year, the 88 government officials took the lead in setting up unauthorized buliding projects during the personnel change of local government, which brought forth hundreds of copycats among ordinary residents, the Nanjing-based Yangtze Evening Post reported.

Residents followed the example in a bid to earn more compensation from urban development plans, which compensate residents for losses based on the area of their residence. At the height of the construction fever, unauthorized construction covered tens of thousands of square meters, the report said.