Residents of DLF areas in Gurugram protest against demolition orders

                Gurgaon: Residents of DLF areas on Wednesday staged a protest seeking govt intervention in preventing demolition of their homes during chief minister Nayab Singh Saini's visit to a 
grievance redressal meeting in Civil Lines.
The CM, who interacted with the protesters and accepted their memorandum, also met with representatives of all five DLF phases at the PWD rest house after the meeting and 
assured them that their issues would be addressed.
Soon after, teams from CID visited the DLF phases to assess the on-ground situation. They are to submit a detailed report to the CM within two days, sources confirmed.
Protesters, who raised concerns over the recent sealing notices issued by DTCP in view of the alleged illegal constructions on their properties, said authorities were targeting genuine 
homeowners alongside commercial violators.
The DTCP action followed a Punjab and Haryana high court order directing the department to act against unauthorised constructions and illegal commercial activities in DLF areas.
Meanwhile, protesters said some among them had invested their life savings to purchase EWS category plots and build homes on them. Construction rules may have been violated, 
they said, but the govt should regularise the houses by issuing orders for some modifications instead of demolition.
Vipin Kumar of DLF-2 said, "We are in stress due to these notices. We are not criminals—we're ordinary families. If the govt intervenes, thousands of people here can be saved from 
losing their homes."
A DLF-1 resident Baljeet Rathee said, "We built our homes with our hard-earned savings. We never imagining that one day we'd face demolition notices. All we ask for is the govt to 
give us a chance to rectify the irregularities and regularise our properties."
Floors over the permissible limit were built in some cases, residents said, but if the govt revised the rules, they would remove the illegal portions.
Meanwhile, cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singh also commented on the issue, stating that while the govt would explore all possible avenues of relief for the residents, court orders must 
be followed. "Action will be taken against those who have built seven-storey houses. I am firmly against encroachments," he said.



Source : Times of India