Ministry rules out lal dora extension in 22 Chandigarh villages

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

In yet another jolt to residents of the city, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ruled out any move to regularise illegal constructions outside “lal dora” in 22 villages.

Earlier, the MHA had turned down the proposal of the UT Administration to convert leasehold industrial and commercial plots to freehold and to regularise need-based changes carried out in houses of the Chandigarh Housing Board on the Delhi pattern.

During the ongoing session of Parliament, local MP Manish Tewari raised the issue in the Lok Sabha whether the government planned to regularise constructions outside lal dora in Chandigarh, what steps were being implemented to accelerate this process and whether there was a timeline to update the Master Plan of Chandigarh to accommodate the current and future needs of residents living outside the red line in 22 urban villages of the city.

In a reply to these questions, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home, stated the development of Chandigarh was governed strictly as per the notified Master Plan of Chandigarh and the same was applicable till 2031.

Tewari further asked the extent to which the revenue concept of lal dora is still relevant for the development of 22 villages in Chandigarh that were included in the Municipal Corporation (MC) between 2015 and 18. Whether the Union Government is aware that the Chandigarh Administration has decided to disconnect water connections outside the dora in 22 villages and if so, what measures are being taken to meet the basic needs of affected residents, given that the concept was outdated for urban village development, he asked.

The minister answered that the development outside the red line area was regulated under Chandigarh Master Plan, 2031, which had been notified in exercise of powers under The Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) Act, 1952 and The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952’. “As per The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, no person is allowed to erect or re-erect any building in area outside the lal dora without prior permission of the Deputy Commissioner,” he said, adding that any construction outside the area without approval by the competent authority is violation of this Act.

He further stated that the release of water connection in the erstwhile villages of Chandigarh, which are now within the municipal limits, is governed by the Chandigarh Water Supply Byelaws, 2011, wherein the MC can release water connections only within the red line/lal dora. “Disconnection of unauthorised water connections is a continuous process and is undertaken by the municipal authorities from time to time,” he added.

“It is fairly evident from the answer that the government has no plans to extend the lal dora of the 22 villages in the jurisdiction of the MC to provide relief to habitations outside it. This militates against the manifesto promises of the BJP,” said Tewari.

Following recent allegations of providing illegal water connections outside the marked area in Daria village, the MC had decided to remove such connections in all 22 villages of the city.

However, the MC’s proposal to give temporary water connections to 2,128 consumers currently getting water supply illegally outside the red line in all 22 villages is pending with the UT Administration.

The lal dora is a line, which separates the village habitation from agricultural land.

Leader of AAP Prem Garg has been demanding regular water connections outside the red line. Garg stated that water and electricity were the basic needs of people. “Lal dora pertains to the pre-Independence period when the country had a population of just 35 crore. How can such restrictions be possible when population has grown four-fold to 140 crore,” he asked.

Minister cites 1952 Act

Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home, said, “As per The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, no person is allowed to erect or re-erect any building in area outside the lal dora without prior permission of the Deputy Commissioner.” The lal dora is a line, which separates the village habitation from agricultural land.