Haryana government keeps stilt plus four-floor building plan approvals in abeyance, order issued

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar

The Haryana government has decided to temporarily suspend all fresh stilt plus four-floor building plan approvals across the state, an order issued by the directorate of town and country planning said on February 23.

The order, however, stated that all earlier sanctioned stilt plus four-floor building plans will remain valid.

The development comes a day after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal in the Legislative Assembly said that keeping in mind the growing voices against stilt plus four-floor constructions in the state, it has been decided that the building plans or maps of such buildings will not be entertained till further orders.

He had said that a special committee has been formed to look into the issue and any decision on the approval of such building plans would be taken only after the findings of the committee.

The committee will examine the issue and also hold meetings with the public and resident welfare associations (RWAs).

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The order issued by T.L. Satyaprakash, Director General, Town, and Country Planning, Haryana, said, “The government has decided to keep all fresh stilt plus four-floor building plan approvals of residential plots in abeyance, including the applications pending and received for approval. Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that no new stilt plus four-floor building plan shall be sanctioned till further orders. However, it is clarified that all earlier sanctioned stilt plus four-floor building plans shall be valid.”

The order further said that ground plus two-floor and stilt plus three-floor building plans can be applied for approval as per the prevailing guidelines.

These orders will apply to all departments across the state, including town and country planning, Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), Urban Local Bodies (ULB), and Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).

The committee, which will examine the issue, will have urban planners, representatives of RWAs, officials of HSVP, and the department of town and country planning.

In January this year, the Supreme Court banned “apartmentalisation” of residential units in Phase I of Chandigarh. On January 10, justices B.R Gavai and B.V. Nagarathna came down heavily on the Chandigarh administration for "blindly sanctioning" building plans and said it was apparent that they were in effect converting one dwelling unit into three apartments.

The apex court had ruled, “Such a haphazard growth may adversely affect the heritage status of Phase­-I of Chandigarh, which is sought to be inscribed as a UNESCO heritage city.”

The apex court had made these observations while hearing a plea by residents of the northern part of Chandigarh who are resisting the administration’s practice of converting single residential units into apartments.