Social activist for inquiry

Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 28

Dilbag Rai Virmani, a social activist, filed a complaint with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar three days ago regarding the growth of unauthorised constructions at the agriculture zone in Ambala.

He said in the complaint that the Haryana Industry and Commerce Department had issued a notification for acquiring 1,852 acres falling in Kakru, Khatauli, Janetpur, Garnala and Panjokhra villages for setting up the Industrial Model Township (IMT) in October 2010.

Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act was also notified in the regard. Later, the Industrial Model Township project was cancelled owing to a political controversy and the land was earmarked as agriculture land with a provision of not granting any Change of Land Use (CLU) to ensure that the land was used for agriculture. The Town & Country Planning Department was directed to adhere to the conditions and the agriculture zone had to be maintained for at least 15 years.

Virmani said during the past few years, several illegal constructions had come up in the agriculture zone which should had been checked by the Country & Town Planning Department. He demanded that the government should order an inquiry into it.

Then Congress MLA Venod Sharma had proposed the IMT in 2010 to exert a pull on new industrial units.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had announced its construction. Villagers were not willing to surrender their land to the government. Later, the government had withdrawn the IMT proposal and the acquired land was declared as the agriculture zone.