The Times of India 31.08.2012
Haryana Urban Development Authority roads on forest land?
GURGAON: Construction work on master roads inside Sector 42, which is now on in full swing, was once stalled by none other than former conservator Dr R P Balwan. In other words, the forest department had put an end to the construction at that time. However, one can clearly see the construction work going on in right earnest during a drive down the HUDA master road 9/9A connecting Faridabad-Gurgaon road to Golf Course Road. With 824 plots in Sector 42, the work seemed long pending.
However, work on this stretch was stalled once earlier by the intervention of former forest conservator Dr R P Balwan during his tenure. When asked whether the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) had obtained NOCs to initiate work on this land, an official said that since the land was under their department, no such NOC was required.
"The work was stalled once a few years ago by the forest department but then since they did not give us any valid explanation for it, we have resumed the work. The contract has been allotted to a private contractor and falls under a Rs 13 crore sanctioned project which caters to special repairs and construction of master roads in the city, including MG Road and our existing 9/9A road repair works also," explained the official.
The road construction work, which commenced in the middle of this year, is expected to be completed by early next year. However, since all of Gurgaon is notified under Section 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act 1900 (PLPA), change of land use is prohibited.
Therefore, the only action initiated by the forest department was to issue a handful of challans to the private contractor for the felling of trees."The land which belongs to the forest is fenced. Beyond it, the land is notified under Section 4 and 5 of the PLPA.
We have issued challans for chopping trees
without permission," said a forest official. Attempts to reach R P
Balwan proved futile till the filing of this report.
