Deliberate attempt to conceal ownership of ‘illegal’ farm houses in Gurugram and Faridabad: SIC

Bhartesh Singh Thakur  
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 24  

While observing that there is a deliberate attempt to conceal names of the owners of “illegal” farm houses in Gurugram and Faridabad by Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD) officials, State Information Commissioner Arun Sangwan has recommended to Principal Secretary TCPD and Principal Secretary Forest and Wildlife Department to conduct a survey of Aravalli area — specifically the 60 “illegal” farm houses — and furnish details of all construction in the area in violation of rules.

The State Information Commission (SIC) order, dated January 15, added that the survey, preferably to be completed within one month, would enable public to access the facts about encroachers of the Aravalli land under section 4 and 5 of Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, who have brought up the constructions without Change of Land Use (CLU) from the TCPD.

Senior IAS Ashok Khemka had approached the SIC after he was denied information on owners of these “illegal” farm houses.

The SIC has also recommended to MD Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam to furnish details of the power connections provided in the area.

The SIC observed that the basis of Ashok Khemka’s RTI application is Forest Minister Kanwal Pal Gujjar’s reply in the Vidhan Sabha against a question raised by BJP MLA Seema Trikha.

Gujjar had “unequivocally stated in the Vidhan Sabha that 50 farm houses have been built in the Faridabad area and 10 farm houses in the Gurugram area” without any requisite permissions, noted the SIC.

“In essence, this points to encroachment by the owners of these farm houses. The department’s response that there is no record of such individuals is not satisfactory as it is the duty of the DTP (Enforcement) to monitor any attempts at illegal construction in its designated area,” said the SIC.

“Ignoring this violation/transgression seems to be by design rather than neglect, considering that electricity connections have already been provided to the owners of these illegal farm houses,” added the SIC.

“The Commission frowns upon this shameless disregard for accountability and the deliberate attempt to keep concealing facts,” said the order.

Earlier, Khemka had written to Haryana Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya on November 9, 2020, against giving assent to Punjab Land Revenue (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2020, passed by Vidhan Sabha on November 3, 2020, as it would enable forced partition of joint holdings without application by a co-sharer, where they are not related by blood. He claims that the new Bill has been brought to benefit the illegal farm houses.

After his letter, the governor withheld his assent and sought comments from state’s revenue department.

Khemka told the governor that at present there are 30 officers who are ex-officio financial commissioners and their powers would be taken away along with divisional commissioners, under the new Bill, as order of the collector would be final.

“The amendment will benefit powerful land sharks in possession of common lands to the detriment of the weak co-sharers,” he said, while adding that the compulsory partition of joint holdings would result in some getting very small share which would be agriculturally unviable.