Oppn cites damage to ecology, Khattar allays fears
INLD’S Abhay Chautala says developers will earn more due to relaxations in restrictions and public will suffer due to environmental degradation; Bill to be tabled next week
I assure the House that nothing wrong is being done by bringing this amendment in the Punjab Land Preservation Act. MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR, chief minister
CHANDIGARH: Expressing reservations over the proposed amendments in the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), leader of opposition in the assembly Abhay Chautala on Friday said the state government’s move to amend the PLPA will prove detrimental to the ecology in the state.
Speaking during the debate on the Governor’s address, Chautala said real estate developers will earn more due to relaxations in the restrictions and the public will suffer on account of environmental degradation.
Lalit Nagar, Congress MLA from Tigaon, an assembly constituency in Faridabad district, endorsed Chautala. “The PLPA amendment Bill will make intrusion of the builders in Aravallis smooth.”
Deputy speaker Santosh Yadav, however, cut Nagar short when she asked him to speak on the subject when the amendment Bill gets introduced in the assembly.
Later, Congress MLA from Palwal, Karan Dalal also raised an alarm over the amendment Bill. “The government should reconsider the proposed amendments,’’ he said.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, meanwhile, sought to put an end to insinuations that the changes in the PLPA were being brought due to the pressure of land sharks and real estate developers. “I assure the House that nothing wrong is being done by bringing this amendment bill,” he said.
In his reply on the points raised by the MLAS on the governor’s address, the chief minister referred to the points raised by Congress and INLD MLAS on the proposed amendment Bill. “The PLPA was over a 100 year old law and needed modification in view of the change in geographical, social and other aspects over a period of time,’’ Khattar said.
Urging opposition MLAS to freely speak on the amendment Bill when it is presented in the assembly, Khattar said there was a need to amend Bill was because of the obstacles the existing law has put on land related matters. “Unlike forest and environment laws, the PLPA could apply on any land in revenue records having trees. Also there were no provisions for giving an opportunity to be heard or make an appeal in the existing law,’’ the chief minister said.
The move to amend the PLPA is aimed at keeping out the tracts of land which had been included in the final development plans or town improvement plans, from its ambit.
The proposed amendment will come to the rescue of real estate developers, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and individuals in utilising pieces of land where construction activity was disallowed due to enforcement of PLPA.
The amendment will also grant legitimacy to the Kant Enclave in Faridabad which was built on PLPA notified land and was ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court.
The apex court had held that “Kant Enclave is a forest or is a forest land or is required to be treated as a forest or forest land and absolutely no construction activity could have been permitted on it with effect from August 18, 1992. Any and all construction activity in Kant Enclave since that date is illegal and impermissible in law.”
The PLPA, enacted in 1900, provided for conservation of subsoil water and prevention of erosion.
Areas of northern Haryana along the Shivalik hills which are prone to soil erosion due to water flow in the rugged and sloppy terrain and areas of southern and western Haryana which are prone to erosion both by air and water were put under restriction of certain activities under this law.