Panchkula: Haryana given two weeks to exclude Ghaggar riverbed from Sector 24 layout

The controversy dates back to 2017 when the petitioners challenged the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran’s demand for additional compensation related to land acquisitions in Sector 24, Panchkula

The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed Haryana government to submit a compliance report within two weeks in response to contempt proceedings initiated by the Himprastha Cooperative Group Housing Society Limited and other housing societies in Sector 24, Panchkula.

The proceedings initiated by the Himprastha Cooperative Group Housing Society Limited and other housing societies in Sector 24, Panchkula, allege that government officials have failed to comply with a HC order issued on February 6, 2024. (HT Photo)

These proceedings allege that government officials have failed to comply with a HC order issued on February 6, 2024. The petitioners are contesting the inclusion of 76 acres of the Ghaggar riverbed in the layout of Sector 24 and are demanding compensation adjustments for allottees.

The controversy dates back to 2017 when the petitioners challenged the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran’s (HSVP) demand for additional compensation related to land acquisitions in Sector 24, Panchkula. The petitioners argued that HSVP’s inclusion of the riverbed in the compensation calculations was arbitrary and unjustified. In February 2024, the HC ruled in favour of the petitioners, revising the compensation rate from ₹6021.56 to ₹2255.51 per square metre and instructing the authorities to exclude the riverbed from the calculation.

Despite multiple representations made by the petitioners since the court’s ruling, the authorities failed to issue revised demand notices or implement the order, prompting the housing societies to file a contempt petition. The petitioners raised concerns about accumulating interest charges, emphasizing that these burdens could have been avoided had the order been implemented promptly.

The HC has issued a stern warning to Haryana officials in light of the contempt case filed by Himprastha Cooperative Group Housing Society Limited and others. Justice Harkesh Manuja noted that despite the court’s ruling on February 6, 2024, eight and a half months have passed without compliance. The court has mandated that the officials file a compliance report within two weeks; failure to do so will require them to attend future hearings via video conferencing.