Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Farmhouses flouting norms to get 48 hours to reply or be sealed

- Ashish Mishra ashish.mishra2@htlive.com

WEDDING SEASON NEARS A monitoring committee formed by the apex court found ’largescale’ misuse during an inspection this week

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court appointed-monitoring committee has tightened its noose on farmhouses and motels in the Delhi, which are rented out for weddings and parties violating land use norms. The committee has directed municipal corporatio­ns to seal such premises after issuing them notices with a 48-hour deadline.

The directions came after an inspection of a number of farmhouses by the committee on Wednesday where it found “large-scale” misuse and unauthoris­ed constructi­ons. The committee has also sought a compliance report from the civic bodies by September 28.

The south Delhi municipal corporatio­n (SDMC) had on Thursday evening sealed the Tivoli Garden Resort in the Chhatarpur area after directions from the committee, which had found violations at the property on Wednesday during inspection.

In an official communicat­ion sent to the three municipal corporatio­ns and the Delhi Developmen­t Authority (DDA) on Thursday, the monitoring committee said that it noticed large scale violations in the farmhouses and motels falling under the jurisdicti­on of the SDMC and the North Delhi municipal corporatio­n.

“The owners and occupiers of these motels and farmhouses have constructe­d huge air-conditione­d pandals and sheds in their plots without permission from the municipal corporatio­n or the fire department. These are being used for holding social functions,” the communiqué dated September 20 said.

There are more than 100 farmhouses across the national capital used for hosting weddings and parties. Civic officials said that there are 36 farmhouses in the south zone and the Najafgarh zone of SDMC and 31 under the

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jurisdicti­on of the North Corp.

The monitoring committee said that the basements of these properties were found being used for commercial purposes “in violation of permitted use” as per sanctioned plan, which was permitted for parking services only.

“The monitoring committee has decided that all the farm houses and motels which are in violation of the sanctioned building plan and completion plan be sealed immediatel­y after issuing notices giving 48 hours (excepting holidays) time for reply as to why the farm houses and motels premises being misused should not be sealed,” the communicat­ion said.

The committee had started a sealing drive in December last year and since then several properties including restaurant­s, It proposed 350 shop-cum-residentia­l plots and complexes on a par with residentia­l plots, and rationalis­ation of conversion charges.

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shops, farmhouses have been sealed for violating norms.

The municipal corporatio­ns said they will issue notices to the owners of the farm houses from Monday. Officials from the north and south corporatio­ns said that a survey would be conducted to find out the number of properties where norms were flouted. They said notices would be served to the erring farmhouses consequent­ly.

“The directions of the monitoring committee on the sealing issue would be followed. The sealing of farm houses which are misusing the property would be sealed if they fail to respond to the notices within 48 hours from Monday,” an SDMC official not authorised to speak to the media, said. When contacted, Tivoli Garden Resort refused to comment.

 ?? HT FILE ?? Erring properties will be issued a notice.
HT FILE Erring properties will be issued a notice.

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