Approval to ‘illegal’ colony near Nayagaon forest withdrawn

We are suffering for no fault of ours. We will again approach court against the Punjab government.

DEVINDER SANDHU, promoter of the colony

PATIALA: The Punjab local bodies department has withdrawn the approval to a colony at Nayagaon in Mohali district. The colony was regularised despite objections by the forest department. Local government department minister Brahm Mohindra has also sought report on the issue.

The action comes a day after HT exposed how the colony spread over 10 acres near the forest area in Nayagaon was regularised ignoring the Union government’s 2010 notification.

In a letter to the executive officer, Nayagaon, deputy director, local government, Jashandeep Kaur Gill said: “Provisional approval issued to the colony has been withdrawn till further orders,” She ordered the executive officer to ensure that no construction takes place on the site.

“I will forward the file to the director’s office to pass relevant orders. Till then, I have directed the EO to ensure that no construction takes place in the colony,” said Gill.

She has also marked a copy of the letter to director, local government, Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority, chief town planner of local bodies department for record and perusal.

In a series of letters written to the local bodies department, the state forest department objected to the colony in the delisted area near the forest land.

COLONY APPROVED ON JANUARY 28

A private builder applied for regularisation of the colony spread over 10 acres under a state government scheme to approve illegal colonies. The builder showed that he sold some plots in 2007 and wanted to regularise the colony. The colony was approved on January 28 this year.

Mohali DFO Rajesh Sood said the Union government issued a notification in 2010 not to carry out any commercial activity on the land adjoining the forest area.

DELISTED LAND CAN ONLY BE USED FOR AGRI PURPOSES

The Punjab government also gave an undertaking to abide by the notification. It is clearly mentioned in the notification that state government will ensure that no commercial activity is carried on the land which is in close proximity to the forest area. The delisted land can only be used for agricultural purposes.

Devinder Sandhu, promoter of the colony, said the land was de-notified from forest department and they won the case in the high court, which said the land can be used for a residential colony.

“We are suffering for no fault of ours. We will again approach court against the Punjab government,” said Sandhu, claiming that the commercial activity is permitted in the area as per an affidavit given by the government in the court.