Plan to amend land Act raises Oppn’s hackles; forest minister justifies move

Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 22

The Haryana Government’s proposed Amendment to the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, to render it inapplicable in several areas covered by the Aravalli range in Gurugram and Faridabad and laying them open for real estate development, today echoed in the budget session of the state Assembly.

Though the Bill to amend the PLPA is likely to be introduced in the Assembly on February 25 or 26, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Abhay Singh Chautala and Congress MLAs from Palwal and Tigaon Karan Singh Dalal and Lalit Nagar, respectively, today slammed the BJP government, alleging that the purpose of the Amendment was to “benefit the realtors”.

“People of Gurugram and Faridabad are already facing several health issues as the pollution levels in these cities are among the highest in the country. People cannot even breathe properly. The Aravalli forest range with its trees and vegetation serve as the green lungs for the people. If even these were allowed to be converted into concrete jungles, people will suffer from diseases,” Chautala said during discussion on Governor’s Address.

Dalal said he was against leaving larger areas of the Aravallis open for developers for construction activities.

Even as Deputy Speaker of the House Santosh Yadav, who was presiding over in the absence of Speaker Kanwar Pal, asked MLAs to raise the PLPA issue only when the Bill was introduced in the Assembly, Congress MLA Lalit Nagar also raised the issue and alleged that due to high levels of pollution in Gurugram and Faridabad, many babies were being born with ailments and disabilities.

Haryana Forest Minister Rao Narbir Singh, however, justified the proposed Amendment and claimed that the BJP government was doing it in public interest and only those areas which come under the development plan were being exempted from the applicability of the Act.

Speaking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the session today, Rao Narbir Singh claimed that almost the entire Gurugram comes under the PLPA and if the Act was not amended, it would cause hardship to several localities that have come up in violation of this Act in the area.

“Hundreds of licences for construction of residential and commercial complexes were issued during the Congress regime with utter disregard to the fact that the PLPA was applicable. Someone went to the court against Kant Enclave and its demolition orders were issued by the Supreme Court. Tomorrow, if the court is moved against other colonies, they too will attract the same action,” he said.

Rao Narbir Singh claims BJP govt decision in public interest

What draft says

• The objectives of the proposed Amendment, as mentioned in the draft Bill (a copy is with The Tribune), state that almost 25% of the state’s geographical area comes under the Punjab Land Preservation Act.
• “This has led to large tracts under agriculture, public, residential, institutional, commercial and other uses being considered unauthorised activities and unlawful uses even where these were permitted because of the applicability of the PLPA,” reads the draft Bill justifying the reasons for the Amendment.