DTCP seals 17 ‘illegal’ flats; 100 more housing units could face similar fate

Seventeen flats that were being built on agricultural land in Sector 67 were sealed by the department of town and country planning (DTCP) on Monday during the ongoing

Seventeen flats that were being built on agricultural land in Sector 67 were sealed by the department of town and country planning (DTCP) on Monday during the ongoing demolition drive being carried out in the district. DTCP officials said that the flats were sealed amidst strong opposition by the flat owners, who protested and refused to vacate the area.

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Around 100 other flats, which have been occupied, were also to be sealed on Monday but the property owners were given a reprieve after they claimed they have registries of their properties. The department has given them two days to submit their registries, DTCP officials said. They further said that a total of 33 flats in the colony are under construction and all of them will be sealed and eventually demolished as per the rules.

District town planner RS Bhath said they had received information that a few developers had collaborated and built flats on agricultural land. “These flats were constructed on agricultural land without permission from the authorities. We have sealed 17 flats and action would be initiated against the developers for building flats illegally,” he said, adding that a detailed investigation would be conducted to know how such a large number of flats were constructed illegally.

“We have asked the owners to submit registries and we would look into how the flats got registered as there was no permission for construction taken from authorities to build these structures,” he said.

DTCP officials said that when they reached the spot in Sector 67 on Monday and asked the residents to vacate the building, the owners started protesting and refused to listen to them. It was amidst protest that a flat in block no 1 was sealed. The residents then pointed to another building in which 16 flats were under construction and those were also sealed, said officials.

Bhath also said that directions have been issued to the owners to submit the registration documents of their flats in his office within three days. “Action would be initiated on the basis of documents and papers submitted by the owners. The details of the registries would be shared with the DTCP headquarters in Chandigarh,” he said.

The buyers revealed that they had paid ₹40 to ₹60 lakh for these flats, depending on whether they were 2-BHK or 3-BHK (bedroom-hall-kitchen).

DTCP officials said that the enforcement team also demolished, in Sector 74, boundary walls of 20 houses and a road. “All these were demolished to ensure nothing comes up in the illegal colony,” said a DTCP official.