Civic body helpless as unauthorised constructions proliferate in Solan

Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, July 30
The Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) seems helpless against 434 cases of unauthorised constructions which were declared in 2016 when the state government had announced a retention policy.
While six to eight cases came up at a recent General House meeting of the civic body held last week, no action was proposed against other such cases.
This move is emboldening the wrong-doers as there is no deterrent to check them. Solan has emerged as the fastest growing town in the state, with constructions coming up in every nook and corner.

It’s an adverse trend. It is unfair to act selectively in six to eight cases where the owners sought relief as per norms. Debate was held over such cases in every General House while there was an eerie silence over other such cases. Shailender Gupta, councillor, Ward No. 9, Solan

As per the report submitted by the planning officer on six to eight cases, a few property owners complied with the mandatory conditions, while others failed to do so. Proceedings have been initiated against the non-compliant ones.~ Ekta Kapta, Commissioner, Solan Municipal Corporation

The state government had announced the retention policy in 2016 for regularising unauthorised constructions by accepting one-time settlement amount. This was, however, turned down by the state high court, following which the MC authorities have been sitting pretty over these constructions.
As many as 434 violators had applied for regularising their unauthorised constructions under the retention policy by declaring the scale of their structures. The state government had also permitted grant of provisional no objection certificate to such structures whose owners applied under Section 25 A of the Town and Country Planning Act. They were supposed to raze their unauthorised structures within a year. As many as six to eight property owners had applied under these provisions.
These few cases generated much furore in the General House of the MC as a section of councillors opined that it was unfair to punish these select owners while letting the others go scot free.
Shailender Gupta, a councillor from Ward No. 9 while terming it as an adverse trend said, “It is unfair to act selectively against six to eight cases who had applied under the laid norms and invest hours debating over it in every General House while remaining silent over other such cases.”
The issue was, however, examined after it was raised in the House and the planning officer was entrusted the task to probe it.
When quizzed, Ekta Kapta, Commissioner, Solan MC, said, “As per the report submitted by the planning officer on six to eight cases, a few property owners had complied with the mandatory conditions while others had failed to do so. Proceedings against the non-compliant ones have already been initiated by the civic body.”
As the civic body does issue notices to routine cases of unauthorised constructions, this has failed to deter the wrong-doers. A large number of such violators comprise influential persons who have several commercial properties in the town. They do not hesitate to encroach upon vacant lands in the absence of any strict action against them.