News: Haryana government revokes its decision to pause implementation of S+4 floor policy-21-09-2024
M: The Haryana department of town and country planning (DTCP) on Friday said applications for approval for construction of stilt-plus-four floor (S+4) buildings can be submitted under its July 2 guidelines.
The decision came after the department retracted an earlier statement submitted to the Punjab and Haryana high court, pausing the implementation of the policy which had faced strong opposition from Gurgaon Citizens Council (GCC). The council had filed a petition in the high court, seeking to overturn the new rules. On Friday, senior town planner Hitesh Sharma issued a formal directive lifting the curbs and allowing map approvals to resume as per the July 2 guidelines.
During a hearing on Sept 11, the bench of Justices Arun Palli and Vikram Aggarwal made it clear that there was no ban on the policy from the court's side, leaving the govt free to proceed with its implementation.
The decision has triggered a mixed response. President of the Gurugram Home Developers Association Narendra Yadav said, "Vertical housing is essential to meet the growing demand for homes. We will push the govt to allocate the Rs 1,158 crore collected for infrastructure upgrades after the elections to ensure the city's systems can support new developments."
The policy had faced strong opposition from the Gurgaon Citizens Council (GCC), which had filed a petition in the HC, seeking to overturn the new rules.
The GCC had argued that the city's existing infrastructure could not support the increased burden resulting from four-floor buildings.
On July 2, when the new policy was introduced, it prompted GCC to seek its annulment, citing concerns over water supply, sewage systems, roads and other essential services
In early Aug, DTCP, represented by additional advocate general Ankur Mittal, informed HC that the policy would be held until the department submitted its formal response.
These temporary curbs had put a halt on map approvals for four-floor buildings. Friday's decision has sparked criticism from GCC members, who believe the govt "acted in contempt of court" by revoking its earlier decision without following proper legal procedures. "The govt ignored the expert committee's recommendation, which called for an infrastructure audit within a year. The infrastructure in the city is already in a shambles, with power, water and drainage systems failing," senior advocate for GCC Nivedita Sharma said.
"We will pursue legal action in the HC over this violation," Sharma said. Pradeep Aggarwal, chairman of Signature Global (India) Ltd said, "The decision to remove embargo on approvals for S+4 floors could not have come at a more opportune time. It will increase the availability of quality homes, thus, boosting the homebuyers' confidence in the city's thriving real estate market ahead of the festive season" Manav Gopal, president, Spiti Developers LLP, said "With DTCP lifting curbs, the plot markets shall see northward growth. With S+4 opening up, markets will resume inventory in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 crore, which is missing from the market at present as developers are targeting mostly luxurious apartments, costing in excess of 4crore, making realty buying out of reach of middle class in Gurgaon".
