Chandigarh admn issues fresh notice to CGA Golf Range for additional violations

The notice has been issued under Rule 14 and Rule 16 of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007, with the hearing date fixed for July 9

In continuation of the previous show-cause notice issued in 2018, the sub-divisional magistrate (Central) has issued a fresh notice to CGA Golf Range, run by Chandigarh Golf Association in Sector 6, for additional building violations.

Spread on around 9 acres, CGA Golf Range was established in 1999. Over two decades later, it has 1,200 permanent members, 500 temporary members and 200 student members. (HT Photo)

The notice has been issued under Rule 14 and Rule 16 of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007, with the hearing date fixed for July 9.

The notice stipulates that CGA is liable to pay charges of ₹6 per square foot per day for the area under violations, which shall be paid every month or part thereof that the building violations occur. The previous notice was issued in September 2018, with most violations still continuing to exist.

₹3.18-crore penalty worked out

The administration had conducted an inspection at the golf range in the last week of March this year, calculating the fee for violations till date as ₹3.18 crore. In case of non-payment of the charges, the same shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

According to the calculation of the area under violations, the daily penalty amount works out to be ₹1.06 crore per month. With the inspection carried out three months ago, a whopping sum of ₹3.18 crore is already due to be paid to the administration for the violations.

When contacted, SK Sharma, president of CGA Golf Range, said, “It is a routine matter of the administration and we will respond to the notice.”

RK Chaudhary, a senior permanent member, expressed serious apprehension that the CGA management will eventually burden the members with paying the penalty. He said the members had been consistently voicing their grievances from time to time, but to little avail. “There has been resentment among members for the last few years, which has now come out in the open. A large group of members has met and formed a core group to fight for their rights,” he said.

Spread on around 9 acres, the golf range was established in 1999. Over two decades later, it has 1,200 permanent members, 500 temporary members and 200 student members.