Bhawani Enclave plot owners meet CM Manohar Lal Khattar, seek relief

On November 25, officials from the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the HSVP demolished 12 fully-occupied houses in sectors 9 and 10, claiming they were encroaching upon government land.

Four months after their houses were demolished by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) for widening the Basai road—from four lanes to six on the stretch between Hero Honda Chowk and Dwarka Expressway—the residents-cum-plot owners of Bhawani Enclave met chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, at Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi on Sunday, demanding compensation.

On Nov 25, 2018, 12 houses were demolished in sectors 9 and 10. They were allegedly built on government land. (HT File Photo)

On November 25, officials from the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the HSVP demolished 12 fully-occupied houses in sectors 9 and 10, claiming they were encroaching upon government land.

Residents submitted plot registry papers and photos of the demolition to the chief minister, and said they were displaced despite being legitimate owners of the plots, which they had purchased 20 years ago.

SP Gupta, one of the house owners, said, “We (a group of five representative owners) met chief mnister in Haryana Bhawan early Sunday morning and handed him a memorandum to reminded him of the compensation assurance he had given us on December 9 when we met him last. The chief minister assured us again that he will talk to the authorities about what best can be done to compensate us.”

This is the second time owners of the demolished houses met Khattar stating they were the rightful owners of the demolished houses and that they should be compensated.

The plot owners of Bhawani Enclave had first met the chief minister on December 9, also at Haryana Bhawan.

“We want new plots and compensation to build new buildings. The Haryana government compensated several people after their land was acquired for the Dwarka Expressway. Our land has been taken by the HSVP and the GMDA to widen Basai Road, but officials treated us like encroachers; this is wrong,” house owner Anil Kumar said.

Haryana PWD minister and Badshahpur MLA Rao Narbir said, “The government is keen to compensate the affected house owners and is considering a suitable way.”