Civic works yet to be launched in Palwal's colonies

With only seven out of 85 residential colonies found fit for regularisation in Palwal, the authorities concerned are yet to launch the development works in all such colonies that had been selected for regularisation in the district in the past one year.

The colonies, which have been included in the regularisation list announced recently, are located within the civic limits of the Municipal Council here. Though the names of around 85 colonies had been submitted, the number of colonies found fit or complying with the parameters announced by the state government are only a handful.

While 31 colonies have been rejected for not fulfilling the conditions, names of another 43 colonies have been put on hold for the time being. Around 100 colonies located outside the civic limits had been announced to be regularised in January this year.

According to sources in the administration, over 300 unauthorised colonies had been detected in a survey conducted in 2022-23 by the Department of Town and Country Planning included around 100 within the civic limits and over 200 in the rural areas (out of MC’s limits) of various municipalities of Palwal and other subdivisional towns of Hodal and Hathin in the district.

The details sought by the department from the builders or the RWAs at the time of submission of the application included the details of total area of the colony, open spaces, number of constructed structures or buildings, width of streets and roads, number of plots, HT and LT power lines, sewage or road network if any, gas and water pipelines, open space for parks and availability of schools and community centres in the area.

The parameters considered for the regularisation include the total area of the colony, width of internal and main approach road, available vacant land and the density of population, say officials concerned.

With less than one-third of the unauthorised colonies in the city and the district being able to meet the parameters so far, no work has begun on the ground to develop or provide the basic amenities, including efficient sewerage, roads and water supply, in the colonies so far.

Slow pace work regarding preparations of the estimates and submission of the DPR and the process of elections held this year are reported to be among the main factors for the delay.

Akhil Pilani, ADC-cum-District Municipal Commissioner (DMC), Palwal, said the development works in the newly regularised colonies were expected to start after the nod from the High Powered Purchase Committee of the state government. The overall budget estimates for the job had already been submitted for approval, he added