Panchkula District Excluded from Haryana's Colony Regularization Drive
The Haryana government has issued a significant notification earlier this month, regularizing twenty-six colonies across the state. However, in a development that has sparked controversy and disappointment, not a single colony from Panchkula district has been included in this regularization list.
Broken Promises and Unfulfilled Proposals
This exclusion comes despite repeated assurances from the BJP-led Panchkula municipal corporation to address the regularization of local settlements. Last year, former mayor Kulbhushan Goyal had announced a specific proposal aimed at regularizing illegal colonies. The plan involved allotting 1-marla plots at 2004 collector rates to eligible families who have been residing in these areas for over two decades. Unfortunately, this proposal never received the necessary approvals and remained unimplemented.
Decades of Neglect and Poor Living Conditions
There are nearly seventy colonies in the Pinjore-Kalka belt, along with several in Panchkula city itself, that have been awaiting regularization for many years. Residents in areas such as Gandhi Colony, Indira Colony, Rajiv Colony, and Kharak Mangoli continue to endure distressing living conditions. These settlements are characterized by open drains, accumulated garbage, stagnant water, frequent livestock movement, and severely limited access to basic amenities.
Neither rehabilitation efforts nor containment measures have proven effective, allowing these unauthorized settlements to expand gradually over time. Successive governments have made promises regarding either regularization or rehabilitation, yet the issue remains unresolved to this day.
Civic Deprivation and Legal Hurdles
Shivalik Vikas Manch president Vijay Bansal highlighted that following the formation of the Panchkula Municipal Corporation and the merger of Pinjore and Kalka civic bodies, numerous settlements were declared unauthorized. This designation has deprived residents of essential civic facilities including proper roads, drainage systems, parks, and community halls.
With Section 7A of the Urban Act currently in force, residents face significant legal obstacles. They are unable to get building plans approved, secure bank loans for property improvements, or register their properties legally, further compounding their difficulties.
Allegations of Discriminatory Treatment
The continued exclusion of colonies shows the government's discriminatory approach towards the Kalka constituency, alleged Vijay Bansal, who also serves as a senior Congress leader from the area. Hundreds of colonies have been regularized across Haryana, yet Kalka and Panchkula remain ignored despite their strategic location and considerable population density.
Political Response and Defense
In response to the criticism, Panchkula BJP president Ajay Mittal stated that he had not yet reviewed the specific notification. However, he emphasized that the BJP had previously allocated plots and houses under various government schemes, suggesting ongoing efforts to address housing and regularization issues in the region.
The situation underscores a persistent urban development challenge in Panchkula, where thousands of residents continue to live in limbo, awaiting formal recognition and access to basic civic infrastructure that has been promised for years.
