NGT seeks report on Gymkhana Club land dispute from Huda

In May 2017, the Huda signed an agreement with a private caterer to construct a banquet hall in the open ground of the club. The caterer erected a banquet hall in the 2.5 acre ground.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday sought a report from the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) on the dispute over the leasing out of Gymkhana Club ground in Sector 29. The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by a Gurgaon resident and fixed the next date of hearing on November 21.

The contractor had erected a banquet hall on the Gymkhana Club grounds. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

In May 2017, the Huda signed an agreement with a private caterer to construct a banquet hall in the open ground of the club. The caterer erected a banquet hall in the 2.5 acre ground.

Rajendra Kumar Goel, the petitioner, challenged the agreement allowing the caterer to cover the open ground, which should be maintained as green area only.

“The NGT found merit in our contention that the open ground in question cannot be covered under any circumstance. The court sought a report from the Huda in this regard,” said Yatish Goel, advocate of the petitioner.

Goel had moved NGT on October 30.

Earlier, the members of the club had met D Suresh, divisional commissioner, Gurgaon, and lodged a complaint against Huda for making the agreement with the caterer, Billu Tent House, without following due procedure. Suresh had asked the Huda to cancel the agreement and he stopped construction of the banquet hall which was almost complete by that time.

Later, Billu Tent House moved a local court against the cancellation order of the Huda on the grounds that bookings for weddings of more than a dozen people were already in and the Huda order would cause huge inconveniences.

Anil Grover, additional advocate general, Haryana government, told the NGT that the Huda has already cancelled the agreement but the contractor moved the court, which allowed him to conduct marriages till December 1. The court had also asked Huda to do issue a tender again for the ground and submit the action-taken report by December 4.

“The tribunal told us to submit the document signed with the contractor on the basis of which he was granted time till December 1. The NGT was of the view that the open ground should not be covered,” Grover said.

The Huda has been allowing Billu Tent House to use the sprawling grounds since 2007 and the lease agreement had piqued the club members who claimed that the tent house monopolising the ground.