Haryana’s Town and Country Planning Department has sought objections and suggestions from the public and stakeholders on a temporary ban on construction of stilt-plus-four-floor residential buildings to decide its course of action in the matter.
They can offer their feedback on the issue until April 6, 2023. The proposed ban comes in the backdrop of complaints by residents of the northern part of Chandigarh who are resisting the administration’s practice of converting single residential units into apartments.
According to government officials, the suggestions have been invited on the recommendations of an expert committee formed by the government to examine issues pertaining to the construction of such buildings in Haryana.
The Haryana government had on February 23 kept in abeyance the approval of fresh building plans of stilt-plus-four-floor buildings on residential plots. The ban would also include applications pending approval.
The government has also formed an expert committee to examine the issue and devise a further course of action on the suspension of building plan approvals for stilt-plus-four-floor buildings on residential plots.
The four-member expert committee formed by the government will be headed by Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) chairman P Raghvendra Rao.
Other members are former Town and Country Planning Department chief town planner Dilbag Singh Sihag, Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) chief town planner Dinesh Chauhan and senior town planner at Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) Vijendra Rana.
Growing complaints
One of the members of the committee, who asked not to be identified, said complaints had been growing against stilt-plus-four-floor constructions in the state and the committee will scrutinize the issue and suggest corrective measures.
“We want to understand the root cause of the problem so to start with we have sought opinion and objections of the public as well as other stakeholders such as builders, among others, on the issue of stilt-plus-four-floor (buildings). We have given them 15 days’ time or till April 6 to respond and give suggestions. After taking the public opinion, we will decide future course of action, which may include going back to past cases, surveys and public meetings,” the committee member told Moneycontrol.
He said the committee will submit its report to the government in two months.
Also Read: SC’s Chandigarh ruling on arbitrary changes by administrations good for urban planning
The committee will also hold meetings with the public and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to decide on the matter, he added.
Pros and cons
An order issued by the state government to form the panel said the committee will probe the concerns raised by and residents, RWAs on construction and suspension of stilt-plus-four-floor buildings on residential plots.
“It will examine the pros and cons of such approvals granted in the past and its implications. It will recommend the most viable and practical future course of action to be adopted along with reasoning for the same,” the order issued on March 16 said.
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 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.
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