140 farmhouses in Surajkund illegal: MC

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, March 23

The Municipal Corporation has unearthed a scam of illegal construction of 140 farmhouses in the forest area of Anandpur village in Surajkund.

Mohammed Shayin, MC Commissioner, has written a letter to Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar Diwedi for action against district revenue officials who, he alleged, issued sale deeds without no-objection certificates (NoC) from departments concerned.

He has also asked Commissioner of Police Amitabh Singh Dhillon to register a case and investigate into the matter.

In the letter, Shayin has claimed that a survey by his office has found 80 fully constructed and 60 partially constructed farmhouses in violation of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 (read with Act 41 of Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Area Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963, and Sections 3-B, 7, 7-A and 11 A, B of the Act Number 8 of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Act, 1975).

Shayin pointed out land changed hands several times and change in ownership continued by means of illegal division of plots, land or sites.

“The DC’s office is the custodian of land records. It is impossible that all this happened without the knowledge of the local revenue authorities,” the letter stated.

The MC Commissioner said land documents had been registered with the office of the Sub-Registrar, but without the NoC from the office of the Director, Town and Country Planning, or the MC Commissioner. This, he said, was a violation of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, and the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Act.

The matter of illegal farmhouses came to light when Punjab and Haryana High Court sought a status report from the MC regarding the operation of several illegal banquet halls. The report was sought in response to a PIL lodged by Faridabad resident Krishan Lal Gera last year.

“During the survey, the MC found that not only banquet halls (marriage gardens), but also several farmhouses have come up illegally in the area,” Shayin said.

The MC had, a couple of weeks ago, constituted five teams to conduct a survey of all farmhouses. Permission to five of marriage gardens was cancelled recently, while the demolition of illegal farmhouses is on the cards.

The Commissioner asked the DC’s office to carry out a thorough and time-bound inquiry to fix responsibility of officials and take action for illegal sale deeds.

He added details of the matter would be submitted before the HC. The DC claimed he had not received the letter from the Commissioner.

NoCs not issued 

• Faridabad MC Commissioner Mohammed Shayin has written to the DC for action against district revenue officials who, he alleged, issued sale deeds without NoCs  
• He has also asked Commissioner of Police Amitabh Singh Dhillon to register a case and investigate 
• In the letter, Shayin has claimed that a survey by his office has found 80 fully constructed and 60 partially constructed farmhouses in violation of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 
• Land changed hands several times and continuous change in ownership took place by means of illegal division of plots, land or sites, Shayin alleged