Govt puts policy allowing stilt plus 4 floors on hold

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, February 22

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced that the policy allowing stilt plus four floors on residential plots had been put in abeyance till a committee of experts gives its suggestions on it.

The CM made the announcement while replying to a discussion on the Governor’s Address. The committee will talk to all stakeholders, including Residents’ Welfare Associations.

6,500 REGISTRIES APPROVED SO FAR

• To date, nod has been given to build four floors & their registration in as many as 6,500 cases of colonisers & developers in the state
• Of these, the work has been finished on most of the plots while the registration of floors has also been completed in many cases
• In addition, building plans for stilt plus four floors stand approved for approximately 12,000 HSVP plots

Earlier in the day, the issue was raised through a calling attention motion too, where Congress MLAs clashed with Agriculture Minister JP Dalal.

As per the government, the registration of three independent floors in residential plots gained pace in Haryana in 2009, when a policy was framed in this regard. Later, on account of the increasing the popularity of the registration of four floors in Delhi, in 2014, the demand for similar policies in Haryana’s towns was also made, said the government’s reply.

“Accordingly, between 2017 and 2018, the public demand for the registration of four floors intensified. Keeping in view the public demand, a policy decision was taken for the first time on November 21, 2018, to allow the registration of four floors on residential plots. The policy decision to allow the registration of four floors was applied across the state and all residential plots whether developed by the colonisers or the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) are covered under it,” said Dalal, while reading out the government’s reply in the absence of the CM, who holds the portfolio of the Town and Country Planning.

He said, “The provision of a stilt is mandatory to reduce the parking problem. Though for increasing the ground coverage, the setbacks have been reduced. However, the minimum setbacks have been retained for adequate light and ventilation.”

During the discussion, Congress MLA Varun Chaudhary said a signature campaign was carried out against the policy and even former Army Chief General VP Malik (retd) had voiced his concerns.

Reading from the SC judgment on apartmentalisation in Chandigarh, he said, “The apex court has appealed to the legislature, executive and also policymakers at the Centre and state levels to make the necessary provisions for carrying out environmental impact assessment studies before permitting urban development. Has any such assessment been carried out before changing the Haryana Building Code?”

Speaker Gian Chand Gupta said even he was affected by the policy in Panchkula.