HUDA building, accounts, official cars attached

Hina Rohtaki

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 13

In a major embarrassment to Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), the court today attached its buildings, including its headquarters, bank accounts and all official cars here today. Farmers were seen dancing to the beat of drums.

HUDA’s headquarters building in Sector 6, other offices in Sector 8, all official cars, including that of the Chief Administrator and other officers were attached.

The attachment was ordered after HUDA failed to pay Rs 35 crore as land compensation to over 19 farmers of Sakteri in a three-month time given by the court in 2014. In April 2014, the court had ordered HUDA to give land compensation at Rs 1618 square per yard but that was not given. The farmers then filed an appeal in the court following which this decision was taken.

In 2010, 18 acre land of 19 farmers of Saketri village was acquired by HUDA, however they moved court saying that the compensation was quite less. Then the court gave the revised amount for the compensation. The aggrieved frequented the office of HUDA but no compensation ws made. HUDA has got time till May 25 to pay the amount.

HUDA habitual offender

It is not for the first time that HUDA’s buildings have been attached.

In November 2010, petitioners of Ramgarh village, had filed an application before the court alleging that HUDA had acquired their land for developing Sectors 25 and 28 in 1992. The landowners were yet to receive the full compensation against the acquisition, they claimed. It was then too, HUDA’s building was attached.

In February 2013, a court had attached the official cars of the then HUDA Chief Administrator, DPS Nagal, the then Panchkula HUDA Administrator (additional charge), Surjit Singh, and the then HUDA Estate Officer, Ashwini Sharma, for failing to comply with the court orders in a case pertaining to the allotment of booth in Sector 15. Later, the officials complied with the directions and got their vehicles released.

In 2014 again, the official car of the EO was attached in a similar case.