Haryana chief secretary seek report on action taken on illegal Aravali farmhouses

GURUGRAM: The Haryana chief secretary on Thursday held a review meeting, during which he directed the Gurugram deputy commissioner to collect reports from all the departments concerned – forest, mining, town and country planning and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) – on action taken against the illegal farmhouses in Bandhwari area of the Aravalis. The deputy commissioner will then file a combined report before the Supreme Court.

The move comes after the top court took suo motu cognisance of a TOI report about a hillock that had been flattened to build an access road to the unauthorised colony of 50 farmhouses in Bandhwari village, off Gurugram-Faridabad road. The court had sought a report from the CS and directed the district magistrate (deputy commissioner) and police authorities to take action. Moreover, the SC also made Gurugram Police a party in the case and asked them to submit an action taken report.

A joint demolition drive had been undertaken by the MCG and the DTCP on Wednesday, in which eight properties were razed. The drive resumed at 11am on Thursday and continued till 6pm, during which several more structures were brought down. “We have demolished most of the farmhouses. Some of them had massive structures such as swimming pools, badminton courts and other facilities,” district town planner RS Batth said, adding that five JCB machines had been used for the purpose.

Some more structures are expected to be demolished on Friday.

MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said immediate action had been taken after the SC took cognisance of the matter. “Our primary focus was to restore the area. In the last two days, almost all farmhouses, barring a few, have been demolished and we have brought down every illegal structure,” Singh said.

The authorities also plan to file an FIR against the developer. “A criminal complaint is being filed by the DTCP,” he added. DCP (east) Chander Mohan said an FIR will be filed in the matter as soon as they receive a complaint.