Panchkula MC slaps notices on 46 farmhouses for illegal constructions

“We have issued notices to 46 farm and guest houses, giving them 15 days to reply. If they fail to comply, we will take action accordingly,” said Panchkula municipal commissioner Sachin Gupta

Launching a crackdown on illegal constructions in Barwala’s Billa village, located in Ward 20 of Panchkula, the municipal corporation (MC) has served notices to 46 farmhouses in the area for violations.

Through a survey, Panchkula MC found that these commercial establishments had been built without getting building plans approved. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Through a survey, MC found that these commercial establishments had been built without getting building plans approved, or securing Change of Land Use (CLU) certificate from the town and country planning department and a no-dues certificate (NDC) from MC.

Earlier in December 2023, at the Revenue Recovery Committee meeting, MC had decided to demolish such farmhouses within just 15 days. But it did not have records of illegal constructions.

A survey followed that found that many buildings had been illegally constructed within just 600 metres of Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), located in the Ramgarh green belt. Not just this, a large number of showrooms and farmhouses have been built along the highway from Moginand to Naggal.

“We have issued notices to 46 farm and guest houses, giving them 15 days to reply. If they fail to comply, we will take action accordingly,” said municipal commissioner Sachin Gupta.

While illegal constructions remain a perpetual headache for the Panchkula administration, nothing has changed on the ground. In September last year, deputy commissioner (DC) Sushil Sarwan had issued directions to demolish commercial buildings constructed illegally in the Morni controlled area and on the Nada Sahib-Morni Road on a priority basis during a meeting of the district-level committee. The DC had said a list of such constructions was being prepared and directed the officials to conduct demolition drives regularly to raze the unauthorised units.

He had directed the district town planner, MC, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran and police to work in close coordination to remove the illegal encroachments in the district. But no tangible changes in the situation can be seen.