Residents oppose demolition drive in unauthorised colonies in Karnal

Karnal District Town Planner RS Bhat said that action will be taken if any unauthorised construction was reported in Karnal

: The Karnal district authorities on Saturday carried out a demolition drive in unauthorised colonies, triggering opposition from the residents, who claimed to have all the relevant documents related to their properties.

HT Image

During the drive, Karnal District Town Planner RS Bhat said that action will be taken if any illegal construction was reported in the district.

He said that there are around 144 unapproved colonies in the district and a decision on these unauthorised settlements will be taken in the next three or four months.

Appealing to the people to avoid construction works in unapproved areas, he said that offices of illegal colonisers were also being razed.

Expressing anger at the move, the residents alleged that they have provided registration papers and other documents related to the ownership of the said land.

“I had spent ₹12 lakh on the construction of this house to shift my family to city from village and they took a few minutes to demolish it,” said an aggrieved resident Arvind Kumar, who runs a common service centre at Kunjpura in Karnal.

He said that he had taken up the issue with the officials of the DTP but they said that the construction was illegal.

Another person, on the condition of anonymity, said that he had purchased a plot at ₹ 15 lakh and the authorities have demolished his under-construction house.

Claiming that they had paid stamp duty and other charges at the time of registration, the residents said why the government allowed the registration deed when they cannot construct a house on this land.