Panchkula officers housing society in MDC Sec 6 heading for trouble

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) allotted a 2-acre plot to a group housing society of IAS, IPS and other senior officers at site number 1 in Sector-6, Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula, in violation of rules in 2001.

A communication between two departments filed before the Punjab and Haryana high court reveals mandatory prior approval of the list of society members from the cooperative department was not taken.

A Panchkula resident, Anand Prakash, who has challenged the allotment before the high court has placed on record the letter written by assistant registrar, cooperative societies, Panchkula to Estate Officer, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). The letter reveals that the list of society members was never received by cooperative department. Hence, no approval was granted.

The Society, The New Haryana Officers Cooperative Group Housing Society Limited, Panchkula, had 83 members with IAS officer Dhanpat Singh as its president. Considerable construction work has been completed by the society, but the high court stayed the allotment of flats to members in March 2015.

In the petition filed in 2014, the petitioner had alleged that this allotment was secured by “illegal members” in “collusion” with the senior officials of HUDA, including the then chief administrator NC Wadhwa.

He has sought direction for registration of FIR against the officials of HUDA, cooperative department as well as the members of society for illegally securing double and multiple allotments of flats in favour of people who were ineligible as per the group housing scheme of 2001, floated by HUDA.

The petitioner has alleged that the 83 members who got this allotment under 2001 scheme were ineligible since they had already availed the benefit of allotment under a reserved category in plot number 20, Sector-27 Panchkula, a relatively less posh location in the housing scheme of 1998.

They surrendered the plot in 2001, just before going in for this scheme. The 2001 group housing scheme bars allotment to those who had got allotment in the past including the surrendered plots. The approval of cooperative societies department was mandatory before any allotment to ascertain whether the members or the society in question had got allotment in the past or not, claims petitioner’s lawyer, Narender Singh.

What the letter says

The letter placed on record by petitioner was written by assistant registrar, cooperative societies to estate officer, HUDA, Panchkula in 2013. The former had replied to some queries raised by HUDA about allotments of plots to the certain societies, including the one in question. The letter was filed recently in the high court by petitioner.

“The said L-form was never received in this office as per record. Hence, the question of its approval by assistant registrar, cooperative societies does not arise,” the letter says. “L” refers to list of members of society.

The list was submitted before HUDA by then society president Dhanpat Singh.

It is not clear whether the plot was allotted by HUDA without mandatory approval of societies department or documents regarding its nod were fudged.

“The fresh evidence has vindicated the stand of the petitioner that entire allotment was totally illegal and in violation of the policy of HUDA and 2001 scheme. No person can avail the benefit of allotment under the reserved category more than once in his or her lifetime,” advocate Narender Singh said. The high court will resume hearing on the matter on September 7.