The Indian Express            22.11.2013

MC passes resolution for shifting 13 villages

Amidst a ruckus at the meeting of the General House of the Municipal Corporation, and a division on political lines, a resolution giving consent to transfer of villages to the civic body was passed on Thursday. Even as the BJP-SAD councillors tore copies of the resolution that had been circulated and raised slogans, with the support of the Congress and nominated councillors, the resolution was accorded approval initiating the process of transfer.

The UT Administration had mooted the proposal for transfer of 13 villages managed by 12 panchayats to the Municipal Corporation. For this, the consent of the civic body was sought. A resolution was presented in the House on Thursday with 10 conditions that the administration should agree to before transfer of the villages. The resolution will be sent to the administration and the process of transferring the villages will start. No time frame has, however, been mentioned for the transfer.

Mayor Subhash Chawla said that there were 23,000 houses in the 13 villages constructed outside the lal dora where a population of 63,000 people was residing. "One of the conditions in the resolution is that the abadi deh be transferred to the MC and Periphery Control Act not be applied on existing construction. This would save the houses of the substantial population that resides outside the lal dora. Once all villages are under the MC, this will be possible," he said.

However, the condition in the villages is such that the construction outside the lal dora is much more than the construction inside. Even in villages that are under the purview of the MC, around 15,000 houses are estimated to be constructed outside. As per the Census report of 2011, only five villages are there that have a rural character. The remaining have been classified as Census towns.

The resolution witnessed opposition from the BJP-SAD, BSP and an Independent councillor as well as one nominated councillor.

BSP councillor Jannat Jahan said that in the villages already transferred to the MC, no development had taken place. These should be developed as model villages and only then should the other villages be transferred. The problem of lal dora had not been sorted out, she added.

SAD councillor Malkit Singh said the panchayats were important in villages as people could get their work done easily. In the villages that have been transferred to the Municipal Corporation, the residents have to face the hassle of getting building plans passed for which they make rounds of offices. He added that 350 to 400 building plans were pending with the MC due to the absence of a patwari.

The Congress councillors, while extending support to the resolution, stated that the funds that were being spent in the villages under the MC were much more than those under the panchayats. The councillors said that once the abadi deh was included in the MC, basic amenities could be provided.

5 transferred in 1995, 5 in 2006

IN 1995, five villages were transferred to the civic body. These were Manimajra, Burail, Badheri, Attawa and Buterla. Later, in 2006, five more villages — Hallomajra, Dadumajra, Maloya, Kajheri and Palsora — were included in the municipal limits.

The process for transfer of the last 13 villages has now been initiated. These are Kishangarh, Mauli Jagran, Daria, Raipur Kalan & Makhan Majra, Behlana, Raipur Khurd, Dhanas, Sarangpur, Khuda Alisher, Kaimbwala, Khuda Lahora and Khuda Jassu.