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Gurugram DTCP razes six illegal colonies and frees 15-acre agriculture land

In a concerted effort to combat the proliferation of illegal colonies in and around the city, the enforcement wing of the town and country planning department (DTCP) recently executed a comprehensive demolition drive, targeting six unauthorized colonies sprawled across 15 acres of valuable agricultural land. This stringent action unfolded in the Hayatpur and Sadrana localities, falling under the purview of the Gurgaon Urban Area and Sector 10A police station. The operation entailed the systematic demolition of structures, boundary walls, and entire road networks associated with these illegal colonies.

District town planner (enforcement) Manish Yadav provided insights into the successful execution of the demolition drive, delineating the specific areas affected. In Hayatpur village, an unauthorized colony spanning around 4 acres witnessed the demolition of two structures, a boundary wall, and the complete road network. Additionally, two more such colonies, covering an approximate area of 4 acres in Sadrana village, experienced the dismantling of their entire road networks. Furthermore, three other colonies, spread over 7 acres in Hayatpur village, faced the demolition of 25 structures, along with boundary walls and the complete road network.

This recent crackdown by the DTCP is emblematic of a broader initiative to curb the rising trend of illegal colonies, especially those encroaching upon prime agricultural land, which contravenes the provisions of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975. Section 7A of the Act explicitly prohibits the registration of sale deeds for plots smaller than 1 acre without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the DTCP. This is a punishable offense, carrying the potential for imprisonment of up to three years. Consequently, the DTCP has collaborated with law enforcement agencies to halt the development of unauthorized colonies and initiate legal proceedings against the offenders, including the filing of FIRs.

Over the past month, the DTCP has conducted a total of eight demolition drives in areas like Gurgaon, Sohna, and Pataudi, targeting illegal colonies. These enforcement actions have resulted in the removal of more than 200 structures and seven farmhouses, underscoring the regulatory commitment to upholding urban planning norms and safeguarding prime land from unauthorized development.

It is noteworthy that this recent crackdown follows a series of similar operations carried out by the DTCP prior to the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in October 2023. In that phase, around 50 illegal colonies, sprawling over 550 acres of prime land in urban areas like Gurgaon, Sohna, Pataudi, and Farrukhnagar, were dismantled by the authorities.
The consistent enforcement efforts are reflective of the government's commitment to maintaining the integrity of urban planning frameworks, discouraging illegal land development, and preserving valuable agricultural and urban spaces.

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