Gurugram: The Haryana irrigation department has directed a developer to pay ₹66 crore for encroaching and developing two acres of land in Sector 67 of Gurugram, officials aware of the matter said. Irrigation department officials said that Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd, which developed the Ansal Esencia project in Sector 67 carved out around 10 plots of 1000 sq. yards on their 2.05-acre land and also built a road and a park on it without any permission from the department.
They said that five acres of land was acquired by the irrigation department in 1970s to construct a drain in the area but due to certain reasons the mutation of the land was not carried out in favour of the department on revenue records. Officials from the irrigation department said that in 2018, they got to know that a developer, Ansal API, had carved out plots, built a road and a park on its two acres of land after which the department issued a notice to the developer and got the construction stopped. Later, they asked him to vacate the land.
Following this the developer approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the matter, and the case continued for almost five years in court, and in August 2023, the matter was decided in favour of the department. However, a senior irrigation department official (NAME OF THE OFFICER) said that after the court’s decision, the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) of the Ansal Esencia project made a submission to the department that the land has been in public use for several years as a park and a road has been constructed on it. Taking into account the submission of the residents and petition filed in the court, the Haryana government decided that since the land has been developed, it should be sold to the developer at market rates.
“The land was acquired in 1970s but mutation was not carried out in revenue records in favour of the irrigation department. In 2018 it came to our notice that part of this land has been occupied illegally. After that we stopped the development of this land, and the developer went to court but in 2023 the matter was decided in our favour. Now we have in public interest issued notice to Ansal API to pay the cost of the land, which comes to ₹66 crore as per the latest circle rates revised by the government. If the developer buys the land, then there will be no loss to the state exchequer and it can be developed and sold to buyers,” the senior officer said.
{{/usCountry}}“The land was acquired in 1970s but mutation was not carried out in revenue records in favour of the irrigation department. In 2018 it came to our notice that part of this land has been occupied illegally. After that we stopped the development of this land, and the developer went to court but in 2023 the matter was decided in our favour. Now we have in public interest issued notice to Ansal API to pay the cost of the land, which comes to ₹66 crore as per the latest circle rates revised by the government. If the developer buys the land, then there will be no loss to the state exchequer and it can be developed and sold to buyers,” the senior officer said.
{{/usCountry}}Dharmender Tanwar, former president, Ansal Esencia RWA said that they had approached the state government, irrigation department and the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking relief in this matter. “A public park, water tank for the entire society and a 24 metre connecting road passes through the land. The residents have paid government taxes and charges for this land and the public should not suffer due to a dispute between builders and the irrigation department,” he said.
RK Jalan, the president of the legal committee of the RWA said that only 5 kanals of land is under public infrastructure and its character should not be changed in public interest. “The government may sell the land to the developer but the road, park and water infrastructure must remain as it is. The people have paid external development and internal development changes and the licence has been issued by the town and country planning department,” he said.
Pranav Ansal, vice chairman and managing director of Ansal API did not respond to phone calls and messages seeking a response on the matter.