High Court Intervention Offers Hope After Decades of Stalled Development
Nearly two lakh residents of Old Gurugram may finally see relief as the Punjab and Haryana High Court reopens the debate over the 900-metre restricted zone around the Air Force ammunition depot. The court’s order, passed on a clutch of petitions including one from the Gurgaon One Residents Welfare Association, relies on the Supreme Court’s December 2024 judgment in M/s Goya Resorts Pvt. Ltd. vs Union of India. The apex court had quashed the 1983 declaration under Section 3 of the Works of Defence Act, 1903, noting the Centre’s failure to act on it for nearly forty years.
Legal Status and Political Push
The Additional Solicitor General informed the high court that no fresh notification has been issued since, leaving the old curb legally hollow. However, construction in the zone remains barred until the Centre takes a fresh view. The development has gained political traction, with Gurgaon MLA Mukesh Sharma (BJP) writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging a scientifically determined notification that retains only essential buffer zones—300, 100, or even 50 metres—while freeing the 300-to-900-metre band for municipal governance and regularisation.
Affected Areas and Infrastructure Stagnation
The restriction covers a large portion of Old Gurugram, including Sectors 14, 17 (where the depot is located), and 18, along with parts of Sectors 5 and 12A, Old DLF Colony, Dharam Colony, Carterpuri, Rajiv Nagar, Sanjay Gram, Sukhrali Enclave, Ashok Vihar Phase 3, Sheetla Colony, the Sheetla Mata Mandir area, Amanpura, and parts of the Maruti Udyog industrial belt. Residents have valid electricity and sewerage connections and pay property taxes, but civic projects—roads, drainage, street lighting—remain stalled. Property registrations are also blocked, preventing legal buying or selling of homes. Around the Sheetla Mata Mandir, which attracts lakhs of devotees annually, development works worth nearly Rs 150 crore have reportedly been on hold due to the restrictions.
Residents and MLA Demand Action
“The government should act swiftly, and the PMO must ensure that fresh instructions are issued,” MLA Sharma told The Tribune. “This issue is not limited to Gurugram. Similar restrictions affect many areas across the country, causing hardship for lakhs of residents because of a redundant notification. It is time for that to change.” Sharma has also raised the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Department of Defence Estates, arguing that a rational and balanced policy could provide relief while safeguarding national security.
