Guide maps bone of contention for UE Phase-1 residents
Box- What maps show
The maps, which show a road and green belt behind houses numbered 1 to 8, contradict the approved 2011 layout plan that designates the land as reserved.
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Residents of Urban Estate, Phase 1, here, have accused the Jalandhar Development Authority (JDA) of harassment over discrepancies in guide maps displayed in their area. The maps, which show a road and green belt behind houses numbered 1 to 8, contradict the approved 2011 layout plan that designates the land as reserved.
Those, who purchased houses after 2010, assert that they relied on the displayed guide maps during their purchase decisions. They said if the layout-cum-numbering plan showed that the land behind houses number 1 to 8 was not a road, but reserved land, then why did the map showed it as a road.
They further said an RTI application filed by Harvinder Singh in this connection also revealed that the maps were put up by the JDA in 2010, which raises questions about the accuracy of the information.
“We are running from pillar to post to get the original layout plans, but, surprisingly, no one has any information or records. How can important documents like the approved layout plan or orders regarding the land exchange go missing from the JDA’s files?” Harvinder Singh asked, highlighting the ongoing lack of clarity and incomplete RTI responses.
He further questioned that why JDA officials sent the residents to the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, (MCJ) regarding the guide maps, when road and green belt shown on the maps were never part of their approved layout.
Other residents of the area, including Maninder Singh and Raman Munjal, expressed concerns over the unhygienic conditions of the land, which is used for a biweekly mandi. “The area is never cleaned and this adds to the frustration. We need the JDA to follow the original layout plan and correct these errors,” they said.
Meanwhile, JDA Chief Administrator Ankurjit Singh said the matter had been discussed with the higher authorities. “We have decided to create a green buffer zone behind the houses to resolve residents’ concerns over privacy and ventilation,” Singh said.
When asked about the guide maps, he explained that the road and green belt shown on the guide maps were never part of the approved layout, attributing the discrepancies to a malafide or bonafide mistake.