Gurugram civic body takes over nine private developer colonies

The department of town and country planning (DTCP) issued an order late Monday night transferring nine privately developed colonies — Malibu Towne, Ardee City, Rosewood City, Greenwood City, Mayfield Garden, Vipul Gardens, Uppal Southend, Sushant Lok 2, and 3 — from their developers to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) with immediate effect, said the civic officials.

The order signed by DTCP district town planner Rajesh Kaushik and DTCP director KM Pandurang states, “…The fact that the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram is keen to takeover these colonies, the government under the provision of Section 23A of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, has decided to transfer the said licenced colonies… to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram with an immediate effect.”

The transferring of the colonies was approved in phases, during three MCG house meetings held in September 2019, June 2020, and December 2020. On April 29, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the first-ever seminar-cum-workshop-cum conclave (Sewocon) for resident welfare associations (RWAs) in the city announced that the state government will take over the nine colonies on an immediate basis.

According to the order, a copy of which is with HT, a cumulative sum of 92.04 crore is required to fix civic deficiencies, as well as for setting up additional civic infrastructure in these colonies. Most of these nine colonies were developed near major roads such as Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, and Vikas Marg in the early 2000s.

“Accordingly, the licensees are hereby directed to transfer the possession of all such roads, open spaces, public parks and public health services in these colonies to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on as is where basis…,” according to the DTCP order.

In the past too, the MCG took over authority of privately developed colonies in the city. In 2020, the MCG took over Sushant Lok 1, Palam Vihar, Nirvana Country, South City 1, Suncity, and South City 2.

“It was a long-standing demand by the residents of these nine colonies. We are looking forward to get optimum civic services from the MCG, such as pothole free roads, unclogged drains, and timely garbage collection among other such services,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, associate convenor of United Gurugram RWAs (UGR) — an umbrella body of RWAs in the city and member of Ardee City RWA.

“A representation of residents from these nine colonies will also approach the MCG on Tuesday to take the matter forward. Residents of these colonies have been facing major issues with basic civic infrastructure for the past two decades, and with this MCG takeover, we are hoping for better services in the future,” said Sudakshina Laha, executive member of Sushant Lok 2 and 3 RWA.