A year after SC nod, HUDA drags its feet

Almost a year after the Supreme Court cleared the Pinjore-Kalka urban complex, HUDA has been dragging its feet on floating residential and commercial projects in the area.
While HUDA takes its own time in coming out with residential and commercial scheme in sectors 27, 28 and 30 in the first phase of the 31-sector urban complex on both sides of the National Highway No 22 between Pinjore and Kalka on the Zirakpur-Shimla road, private builders seem to be having a field day as they had already launched expensive apartments and plots in the area.
Residential plots, multi-storeyed apartments in group housing societies (GHS) and commercial areas were to be offered by HUDA in these sectors. Besides, the development of infrastructural facilities such as roads, sewerage, taxi stands and other essential services were to be developed simultaneously in the area.
Earlier, the urban complex had run into rough weather with the Punjab and Haryana High Court granting stay on the project on April 19, 2012, following an application filed by farmers contending that their land had been forcibly acquired by HUDA. However, on December 12 last year, the Supreme Court vacated the stay, paving the way for the launch of HUDA sectors in the township.
The ambitious urban complex project was approved around six years ago to decongest Panchkula.However, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests raised certain objections to the urban complex project in 2009 before finally clearing it.
Meanwhile, HUDA sources claimed that layout plans would have to be “re-worked” as the Supreme Court had recently quashed a land acquisition notification issued by the Haryana Government. Nearly 18 acres of land were released to farmers after the decision of the apex court, delaying the layout plans of these sectors, the sources added.
Why the delay
A recent Supreme Court judgement has quashed a notification of the Haryana Government forcing it to release nearly 18 acres of land to farmers.This has apparently resulted in “re-drawing” the layout plan of the area, delaying the launch of three residential sectors in the urban complex.