HUDA demolition at Kherki Daula paves way for connecting Dwarka Expressway with NH-8

The Huda officials said they had managed to clear enough space to allow the movement of light motor vehicles such as jeeps and cars once the road is built by the engineering department

A day after issuing notices to over 100 oustees to vacate their houses in Kherki Daula, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) on Saturday demolished structures on a 500-metre stretch, thus paving the way to connect Dwarka Expressway with Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

Huda on Saturday cleared up a 500-metre area that is needed to link the two roads.

The Huda officials said they had managed to clear enough space to allow the movement of light motor vehicles such as jeeps and cars once the road is built by the engineering department.

The authority said that it did not demolish the houses in which owners were residing and only a few properties were cleared to connect the two crucial roads.

HUDA administrator Yashpal Yadav said the authority will transfer the compensation amount to oustees and resolve the issues pertaining to 10 oustees who have issues over the location of their alternative plots. “This entire stretch will be cleared on priority and the authority will give all help to oustees but an undue delay wont be accepted,” Yadav said.

The 18.4-km long Dwarka Expressway has missed several deadlines and the road — connecting NH-8 and Delhi — which should have been completed by 2010 has been stalled owing to legal issues.

House owners in Kherki Daula, New Palam Vihar and Bajghera have been fighting the government to get alternative plots and compensation for the land acquired.

A large posse of Gurgaon police was also deployed to prevent any untoward incident during the drive which continued from 10am to 1pm.

The properties that were demolished by the team included a shuttering house, boundary walls of a large plot, the building of a defunct poultry farm and the boundary walls of two plots.

“The clearance today has given us around 20 feet of space in a 300-metre area and full space in the remaining 200-metre area. This land has been handed over to Huda’s engineering wing to build a road that will ensure movement of light motor vehicles,” said Hari Singh Jakhar, SDO, enforcement.

One of the oustees said around 15 allottees have been given plots that are under a high tension power transmission line and they could not build new houses in these plots. “There are also people who have not been paid compensation and the authority needs to give them adequate time for building new houses,” one of the plot owners, on condition of anonymity, said.

Yadav, when asked about the problems faced by plot owners, said the authority is working on a solution and assured that no injustice will be done to oustees.