GURUGRAM: Owners of properties across DLF 1-5 have been issued notices after a survey found illegal construction and commercial activities being carried out at 4,183 houses in the area, the department of town and country planning (DTCP) has told the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The department said it has already issued 1,138 notices to property owners in DLF-3, and more notices will be sent.
Homeowners will get time till Jan 31 to restore the sanctioned property designs and shut down all illegal commercial activity by then. If they don’t, the next step would be demolition and sealing drives, the department said.
This action comes after a survey found rampant illegal construction and commercial activities across DLF. A majority – 83% – of the violations were seen in EWS category plots of 540sqft.
District town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia told TOI on Sunday that the most violations were seen in DLF-3 and DLF-5.
“In phase 3, unauthorised construction extends up to seven or eight storeys, with properties being illegally used as PG accommodations and guesthouses. Similarly, phase 5 has witnessed a surge in commercial activities within residential spaces,” he said.
DTCP submitted this information to the high court on Jan 10.
The single-judge bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur is hearing a plea filed by the DLF City RWA in 2020. The petition sought action against large-scale unauthorised construction and misuse of residential properties for commercial purposes.
Officials said the department, in its latest submission to the HC, outlined its progress and planned steps to tackle illegal construction and assured the court that all necessary action is being taken.
Till now, the department has revoked occupancy certificates (OCs) that were granted to 81 properties in DLF-5. The management, DLF, also disconnected water and sewer connections to these properties.
Still, such measures have not deterred property owners from illegal construction.
Officials said that between 2010 and 2024, the department carried out 44 demolition and sealing drives across the five phases of DLF.
“A major challenge has been legal hurdles. After sealing or demolition, property owners often approach the district court for relief. Currently, 227 cases related to DLF 1 to 5 are pending in various courts, with 167 cases under court-ordered stay. This legal gridlock has slowed down enforcement measures, allowing violators to continue their activities unabated,” said a senior town and country planning official.
DTP Madholia said the enforcement wing of the department will complete the process to issue show-cause notices and restoration orders this month.
“Progress reports have been submitted to the high court. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan 15,” he said.
Source Homevior.in
