News: Gurugram: About 1,000 illegal jhuggis near Golf Gourse Road razed-21-01-2022
A day after sealing 10 commercial establishments running from residential plots in the colony, the department targetted unauthorised jhuggis constructed despite ban on construction in the colony.
Around 1,000 jhuggis, illegally constructed on plots in Saraswati Kunj colony along Golf Course Road, were razed on Thursday by the enforcement wing of town and country planning department.
A day after sealing 10 commercial establishments running from residential plots in the colony, the department targetted unauthorised jhuggis constructed despite ban on construction in the colony.
District town planner (enforcement) RS Batth said the department had received information about hundreds of jhuggis which had been constructed in violation of the norms. “On Thursday, the enforcement team during a six-hour long drive razed these jhuggis and a four-storey building which was being constructed without approved building plan,”he said.
He also said the offenders, mostly locals from adjoining villages, had rented out these jhuggis to the labourers and daily-wagers and were collecting money in illegal manner from them on monthly basis.
Set up in 1983, the society had been under legal tussle since 2004 after 9,000 applicants were alloted the plots whereas the society could accommodate only 4,000 houses. The cooperative group allegedly allotted plots against money thus putting the entire project in jeopardy. However till now, only 1,500 plots have be alloted.
In 2016, the state government formed a commission headed by retired IAS officer SP Sharma to identify original owners and suggest a way out of the stalemate. The matter is presently under Punjab and Haryana high court. Due to the legal issues, the DTCP is not approving any building plans or giving clearance to any construction in the society. But the locals have carried out unauthorised construction in the society over the period of time.
In November 2020, more than 650 jhuggis, which came up on a five-acre plot in Saraswati Kunj, were demolished by the DTCP.
