4 civic bodies to move to common office in Gurugram Sector 29

According to MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav, a plot next to the Huda gymkhana, owned by HSVP, has been selected for constructing the four civic bodies’ offices.

Four public bodies in the city — Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Haryana Shahri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), and the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) — are planning to construct their offices together in Sector 29, a move likely to benefit the residents as well as the agencies, officials privy to matter said.

The Sector 29 plot near the Huda Gymkhana club where the offices are to shift.parveen kumar/ht photo (HT Photo)

The proposal requires the DTCP’s approval, after which it will be sent to the state government for the final green light.

According to MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav, a plot next to the Huda gymkhana, owned by HSVP, has been selected for constructing the four civic bodies’ offices.

“The idea behind basing all civic-related offices together is to make it more convenience for residents, who can complete multiple tasks from different civic bodies in one visit, as well as easing coordination between the agencies. There are several projects that need approval from more than one civic body, and proximity among them will mean files can be sent from office to another on the same day. Civic work will also accelerate as a result,” Yadav said.

“The GMDA and DTCP will have to pay the construction costs to the MCG. Since the land belongs to HSVP, the cost of their land will be deducted from the overall cost of constructing their office,” he said.

HSVP administrator Chandrashekar Khare said having a joint office for these bodies will help Gurugram residents.

MCG officials said the proposal has been cleared by the Urban Local Bodies department (ULB), and is currently with the DTCP for approval. They added that once the DTCP gives the nod, the file will be sent to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for a final approval of the project.

Officials said that after the CM gives an approval they will decide the size of the plot and the building design for the offices. Each of the offices is located in different corners of the city, and has their own set of issues.

The MCG has been looking for a building for its own office since 2014, when it moved from its old office in Civil Lines to Sector 34, an industrial sector on the outskirts of the city where public transport is extremely poor, according to residents of Gurugram.

Constant complaints from residents of poor public transport and an inconvenient distance led to the MCG constructing offices of the three mayors in its Civil Lines office last year, as well increasing the number of citizen utility services there.

“To reach the MCG office in Sector 34, I have to change two buses till Hero Honda Chowk, and either walk from there or wait for 10-15 minutes to get a shared auto-rickshaw. I hope MCG shifts its office closer to the centre of the city as it will ease the commute for residents,” Anshul Yadav, a resident of Palam Vihar, said.

Aside from the distance being a factor, the Gurugram corporation also currently pays ₹13 lakh to HSVP as monthly rent for the building.

The HSVP and DTCP office in Sector 14, besides being in a dilapidated condition, are located in a cramped area and face a parking space crunch as well, according to officials.

RS Batth, district town planner (DTP), said, “The establishment of offices in Sector 29 will be beneficial to those living in the developed sectors 1-57, as it will be centrally located for them. In addition, coordination among agencies will also improve.”

The GMDA’s three-storey office is located in Sector 32, opposite the Medanta hospital.

While the existing office is in close proximity to Rajiv Chowk Metro Station in Delhi, and thus has a strong public transport network, authorities have to pay ₹19 lakh monthly rent, as the building is owned by a private firm.

V Umashankar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the GMDA, while stating that the new office is a good venture said that until the four-year agreement with the firm ends, GMDA will not shift from its current location.

“The GMDA has also lent its support to build a new office along with the other civic bodies. However, GMDA will not relocate to a new office for another three years until the agreement with the firm expires,” Umashankar said.