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

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.