Illegal commercial activities in Sushant Lok-1 add to infra burden: DTCP

GURUGRAM: A recent survey by the department of town and country (DTCP) has found that several illegal commercial activities were being carried out on residential plots at Sushant Lok-1, which has led to a huge burden on the local infrastructure. The department, officials said, will now carry out sealing and demolition drives in the licensed colony within 15 days.

The survey was undertaken by the DTCP after members of the Queen Plaza Shop Association had filed a complaint with the enforcement team against property owners for engaging in illegal commercial activities in violation of the norms. The
association members had alleged that despite paying all taxes, dues, and procuring trade licenses, they were facing losses due to illegal shops and Shiv Shankar Rai, a local resident, said with an increasing load on basic amenities
due to ongoing construction of fourth floors and delay in augmentation of the infrastructure by the civic body, the local residents were facing several issues related to water supply, sewerage and drainage system, power supply and others.

On Thursday, town planner (enforcement) RS Batth said that based on the complaints, the department carried out a survey of the licensed colony and will now launch a sealing and demolition drive in the area. Most of the violations were
in 60-yard plots under the economically weaker section category in C-block of the colony, he said. Meanwhile, residents have also alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) had failed to utilise around Rs 88 crore, which it has received from the DTCP in the form of fees collected from property owners against the increased FAR (floor area ratio).

The funds, as per the norms, should have been used for infrastructure augmentation. In 2016, the state government had increased the FAR allowing change of land use (CLU) for residential purposes under the Haryana Building Code, 2016. The
building code provides that additional FAR is allowed on the payment of charges as approved by the government from time to time. Currently, the DTCP has stopped the transfer of FAR charges to the civic body due to the non-utilization of funds so far.