RWAs knock at EC doors over Haryana nod to S+4

Urging the Election Commission to suspend the government order giving the go-ahead to the stilt-plus-four construction in Haryana, residents’ welfare associations have sought action against the Director, Town and Country Planning Department, Haryana, for acting under the “influence” of the caretaker Haryana Government while giving his nod.

Speaking to The Tribune after a meeting of the residents’ welfare associations, which met under the aegis of the HUDA Sectors Confederation, an umbrella body with 287 members, in Hisar today, president Yashvir Malik said, “We have sent an e-mail to the EC, stating that the removal of embargo on the construction of S+4 floors in residential areas be put on hold. This notification is beyond the powers of the current caretaker government in the state and is clearly a big allurement for voters,” he said.

The letter to the EC states that the notification regarding the construction will not only come in the way of a level playing field during elections, but also smacked of the government’s “vested interests”.

Maintaining that it violates the model code of conduct, the confederation has sought a ban on the latest notification while seeking “disciplinary action” against the officer concerned.

Malik said all RWAs were unanimous on the issue of writing to the ECI and also regarding campaigning against the BJP.

“So far, the RWAs across the state were neutral since the S+4 construction had been banned. However, now in the light of this latest notification, the members of the confederation have decided to campaign against the BJP aggressively. We will not stop the BJP from campaigning in our sectors but will run a parallel campaign against it,” he said, adding that the BJP had left them with no other option even though they did not want to get involved in politics.

Not only will the RWAs campaign against the BJP, they will also ask other party candidates coming to their areas to clear their stand on S+4 construction. “We have asked the RWAs to question the candidates about the S+4 policy and whether they will commit to scrapping it if their party comes to power. Our vote will depend on their reply,” Kadam Singh, convener of 10 RWAs in Rohtak and senior leader of the confederation, said.