MCG to submit revised terms of colony transfer
GURUGRAM: In a major step forward in the transfer of maintenance of eight privately developed colonies to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the civic body is likely to submit a revised detailed project report (DPR) to the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department, on Wednesday.
The submission of this DPR is believed to be the last formality that was hindering the MCG from taking over civic maintenance of these colonies, officials familiar with the development said.
The new DPR contains several parameters which have been altered in accordance with an agreement reached between the state government and developers of these colonies during a highlevel meeting held in Chandigarh two months ago.
“The modalities regarding the transfer of colonies were discussed today and the DPR is likely to be submitted to principal secretary Anand Mohan Saran on Wednesday,” MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav said.
This development has given residents hope of better civic amenities as the transfer process has been in a limbo since February 2016, when chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed the MCG to take over maintenance of DLF Phases 1, 2 and 3, Sushant Lok-1 and Palam Vihar. Names of Suncity and South City-1 and -2 were added in 2017.
Incidentally, the name of Ardee City was also added to the list in 2017, but since the developer had failed to procure a part completion certificate, its name was excluded.
With developers maintaining civic infrastructure in these colonies, residents have no provision for grievance redressal. Additionally, resources at MCG’s disposal are much larger than those developers put to use to build infrastructure in these colonies.
The transfer has been in a limbo since the private developers did not agree to some terms
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Modalities regarding transfer of colonies were discussed today and DPR is likely to be submitted to principal secretary Anand Mohan Saran on Wednesday. YASHPAL YADAV , commissioner, MCG
and conditions of transfer mentioned in the old DPR. These differences were ironed out during the Chandigarh meeting on May 1, MCG officials said.
First major point of contention was that developers were told to pay the MCG the cost of maintaining these colonies for a period of five years from the day MCG takes charge of the civic upkeep, as mentioned in the Huda Act, 1975. However, this too was met with resistance from developers.
As per the latest DPR, this criterion has been removed. The MCG is now expected to bear all costs for maintenance from the time it takes charge.
The civic infrastructure of these eight colonies, which were developed in the 1980s, has been falling apart since early 2000s, when the city experienced its first real estate boom, followed by first wave of large-scale migration.
According to the old DPR, the developers were liable for the repair and upgradation of amenities such as roads, drainage, water supply, streetlights and common spaces, before the maintenance transfer. The old DPR also required developers to build “additional infrastructure” that the residents now require. They were asked to construct community centers, clubs, post offices, religious sites and police stations.
However, after developers objected, this too, was omitted from the new DPR.
According to the latest DPR, builders will now only pay compensation for those deficiencies in infrastructure which they had failed to develop, as per the service agreement signed at the time of issuance of licence in the 1980s.
The developers have started repairing the existing roads, sewage, street lights, water supply mechanism, etc. For example, on June 7, several roads across DLF Phase-2 were re-carpeted.
Nilesh Ranjan, a resident of DLF Phase-3 said, “The road outside my house has been broken for eight years. CM’s announcement in 2016 gave me hope that things may change. I have been awaiting each development.”