Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Defence ministry to decide on protected area around Gurgaon air force station

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

CHANDIGARH: The Union government on Friday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that it had authorised the defence ministry to take a decision on the expert committee report on the protected area around Gurgaon air force station.

Union government’s additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain told a bench of the high court that instructio­ns had been issued to the ministry and assured the court that a decision would be taken at the earliest.

Following the submission­s, the high court bench of justice Surya Kant and justice PB Bajanthri directed the defence ministry to take a decision on the report of the committee by the next date of hearing and file a status report on September 7.

The high court, however, refused to give any directions to issue water and power connection­s to the restricted area residents.

Last year, an expert committee constitute­d by the cabinet secretary had recommende­d that the protected area be reduced from 900 metres to 600 metres near the ammunition depot. However, the government had failed to take a decision on the report. If the recommenda­tions of the committee are accepted, around 8,000 structures around the air force depot would be regularise­d.

It was a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Suersh Goyal seeking removal of constructi­ons from 100-metre area around air force station, which had brought the illegal constructi­on matter around depot before the court in 2010.

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