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Hundreds of homeowners from DLF and Old Gurugram colonies protested against recent demolition action, seeking regularisation of their properties and a review of the enforcement approach. The residents held a mahapanchayat at the Mini Secretariat and criticised the District Town Planner and municipal authorities for what they described as high-handed action. They argued that many of the affected colonies were developed with administrative oversight and said sudden enforcement of rules on stilt-plus-four construction and paying guest operations was causing hardship. The homeowners have decided to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner seeking relief and a penalty-based solution.
Hundreds of homeowners from DLF and Old Gurugram colonies gathered at the Mini Secretariat earlier this week to protest against the demolition of properties in the areas. During the protest, residents held a mahapanchayat and criticised District Town Planner (DTP) RS Bhatth and the municipal corporation over the enforcement action.
The homeowners alleged that the colonies were established with the knowledge and involvement of the administration, but residents were now facing demolition action in the name of regulatory compliance. They also raised a political concern, claiming that the issues faced by residents were being overlooked because southern Haryana had never had a chief minister.
The residents demanded that their properties be regularised at the earliest. They said the government had introduced rules covering stilt-plus-four construction and norms for operating paying guest facilities, but argued that the sudden enforcement of these provisions was amounting to harassment of homeowners.
The homeowners also sought a penalty-based approach in cases where construction norms had been violated. They said the municipal corporation and the Haryana Urban Development Authority should consider imposing a compounding fee instead of resorting to demolition, where the violations can be addressed through such a mechanism.
At the mahapanchayat, the residents decided to send a memorandum detailing their demands to Deputy Commissioner Uttam Kumar. The memorandum is expected to seek regularisation of the affected properties and action against officials whom the residents hold responsible for what they allege was arbitrary enforcement.
The protest comes amid a wider enforcement drive in Gurugram's DLF colonies against unauthorised construction, commercial use of residential properties, misuse of stilt parking and encroachments. In DLF Phase 3, more than 2,500 houses in U Block have faced the possibility of sealing or demolition over alleged construction violations. Homeowners there have also been preparing to approach the court, arguing that properties with different levels of violations should not be treated uniformly.
Residents in DLF Phase 3 have said that a property-wise assessment is needed, while the Department of Town and Country Planning has maintained that action is based on violations identified in sanctioned building plans and applicable norms. The department has also said property owners can raise their objections before the competent authority or court.
The latest protest adds to the growing disagreement between homeowners and authorities over how building violations in established Gurugram colonies should be dealt with. For residents, the immediate demand is for regularisation or a practical route to compliance rather than demolition, while the authorities continue to enforce existing building regulations.
Source PTI
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