Gurugram: Over 2,000 shanties along Golf Course Road demolished

GURUGRAM: The enforcement team of the department of town and country planning (DTCP) on Thursday carried out a major demolition drive in Saraswati Kunj, along Golf Course Road, and razed over 2,000 shanties.

These shanties had come up in eight clusters in the area, despite a ban on construction due to ongoing court cases over the allotment of plots. Officials said that local goons and land sharks have been charging a monthly rent of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 from the occupants, mostly daily wagers, small shopkeepers and domestic staff.

On Thursday, a team led by district town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia, carried out the demolition drive with the help of three earthmovers in the presence of policemen.

“We have cleared around 2,000 jhuggis in eight clusters by razing each and every illegal structure. If the offenders reconstruct the shanties or are found involved in any sort of illegal construction, the department will get FIRs registered against them,” the DTP (enforcement) said.

He said a request will be made to Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to disconnect the electricity connection to these clusters and regular vigil be kept by them so that electricity theft may not take place in future.

Apart from this, the illegal hutments are causing various health issues like defecation, sanitation and also threats to the neighbouring residential societies.

The issue of illegal shanties had come up at the grievance committee meeting chaired by CM Manohar Lal Khattar where directions were given to demolish them.

In May, the department had razed around 8,000 shanties in the colony to clear around 20 acre.

Set up in 1983, Saraswati Kunj has been under a legal tussle since 2004, when only 4,000 houses could be accommodated in the colony after the cooperative group allegedly allotted plots to 9,000 applicants in exchange for money. On the ground, it has allotted only 1,500 plots so far. In 2016, the state government formed a commission headed by retired IAS officer SP Sharma to identify the original owners of the plots and suggest a way out of the stalemate. The matter is, at present, in the Punjab and Haryana HC.