DTCP recommends FIRs against 58 persons in Gurugram for developing illegal colonies

The department of town and country planning (DTCP) has recommended the registration of FIRs against 58 persons allegedly involved in carving out nine illegal colonies across 32.5 acres of land on the outskirts of the city. The colonies were being developed in Kherki Majra, Garhi Harsaru, Sultanpur and Gadoli Kalan villages, said officials.

DTCP officials said the authority decided to recommend the registration of FIRs against all the persons who have received show-cause notices or been the target of demolition drives for carving out colonies without licenses in the last six to eight months. “We recommended FIRs against 58 persons for developing illegal colonies in various parts of the district without permission. We issued them notices and followed due process of the law. All such builders will face strict penal action,” said RS Bhath, district town planner, enforcement.

According to the department, an FIR has been recommended against five offenders for developing an illegal colony in Kherki Majra village over two acres, another group of five will face action for developing an illegal colony on two acres in Harsaru village, six violators for developing an illegal colony in Farrukhnagar, 20 persons will face action for developing four illegal colonies in Sultanpur (over 19 acres) and 22 persons will face action illegally developing two colonies on 4.5 acres in Gadoli Kalan.

Bhath said that the DTCP carried out over 100 demolition drives in the last one-and-a-half years, in which the department cleared close to 1,000 acres of illegal colonies. “We have already registered around 35 FIRs against the violators and these are being actively pursued in court. Our primary goal is that buyers should not get duped into buying illegal plots,” he said.

DTCP officials said that from this year, they will ensure regular surveillance to identify illegal colonies at the initial stage and these would be demolished at the earliest. To curb the development of illegal colonies, the state government in August last year also changed rules for obtaining no-objection certificates from DTCP for the registration of a plot by revenue authorities–a move that has helped curb illegal development to an extent, according to authorities.

“The curb on registering small plots has helped keep illegal development in check and the ongoing drone survey will also give a clearer picture of the ground situation,” said Bhath.