Huda may get wing to reclaim lost land in Gurgaon

Huda, Gurgaon, is considering setting up of an independent enforcement wing to protect its land bank

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda), Gurgaon, is considering setting up of an independent enforcement wing to protect its land bank in the city from being encroached upon and sold illegally, and to get back land that is in illegal possession.

Almost 300 acres owned by the authority has been encroached upon without any legal encumbrance. As much as 250 acres are stuck in litigation.(Parveen Kumar/HT File Photo)

A proposal to set up an enforcement wing, and appoint an enforcement officer would be sent to the headquarters in Chandigarh soon, a Huda official said.

The task of enforcement in the authority is overseen by the estate officers, who also act as duty magistrates. But given their heavy workload, the authority has not been able to protect its turf.

The Huda has one of the largest land banks in Gurgaon but the lack of enforcement has resulted in land valued over 5,000 crores being either partially or fully encroached upon.

Sources said almost 300 acres owned by the authority has been encroached upon without any legal encumbrance. As much as 250 acres are still in the possession of land owners as they have filed court cases.

However, there are also a number of instances where Huda land has remained in illegal possession because of the lax attitude of the authority. However, the cash-strapped agency now wants to have an effective control on its assets as the state government had directed it to raise financial resources on its own by monetising the commercial and residential land.

Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said a campaign has already started to recover the encroached land. “The estate officers have asked for appointment of an independent enforcement officer so that action against encroachments, and protection of Huda land can be more effective. This issue will be taken up with authorities in Chandigarh,” Yadav said.

The authority is creating a database of all land it owns in Gurgaon. It has started completing the revenue processes such as mutation of plots and taking possession of the land formally.