Draws for housing schemes in limbo as town planning office remains headless

The post of senior town planner (STP) of Gurgaon has been lying vacant for one-and-half months, leading to speculation of infighting in the Haryana town and country planning department over the post. While the government is yet to appoint an STP for Gurgaon, thousands of people who have applied for houses under affordable schemes and schemes for economically weaker sections are still waiting for the draws.

The post of senior town planner (STP) of Gurgaon has been lying vacant for one-and-half months, leading to speculation of infighting in the Haryana town and country planning department over the post.

“This has never happened in the past 40 years. There are a few officials who are eyeing this plum post. Gurgaon STP is also the head of town planning departments of Narnaul and Rewari. There are 10 to 11 posts of STPs in the state, of which, Gurgaon is the one that everyone wants,” said a senior official in the department in Chandigarh, on condition of anonymity.

While the government is yet to appoint an STP for Gurgaon, thousands of people who have applied for houses under affordable schemes and schemes for economically weaker sections are still waiting for the draws.

There are as many as 25 affordable housing groups and as many groups under the EWS scheme for which draws are in the pipeline. They all can accommodate roughly 50,000 people.

Each applicant has paid five per cent of the total projected costs of the flat or house.

Developers are supposed to start construction only after the draw. They will get four years to complete the projects.

When asked, the town and country planning department told HT that the order for the appointment of Vijay Goel as the new STP has already been issued. Vijay Goel is currently working in Chandigarh.

An insider told HT that the government is finding it difficult to find Goel’s replacement in Chandigarh.