GURUGRAM: Residents of Saraswati Vihar have secured a stay order from the Gurgaon civil court on the proposed e-auctioning of a 553.67-square yard plot in the society for residential purpose by the state housing board.The residents claimed that the plot was earmarked for a park and the housing board had already encroached upon it as well as other open areas in the society. As per rules, a township should have 45% open space.On February 1, the housing board had issued a notification to auction the plot at a reserved price of Rs 5.5 crore for residential purpose. The bidding had been scheduled for February 21. But Gurgaon Citizens’ Council (GCC) filed a petition in court, seeking a stay on the proposed auction. On Monday, the court issued an order, “restraining” the housing board from auctioning the plot.According to residents, the colony was developed as per Haryana Housing Board Act, 1971, and licensed by the director of town and country planning department. Currently, over 25,000 residents live in nearly 3,500 houses in the colony.R S Rathee, GCC president and councillor of ward 34, said in 1988, the government decided to follow norms and standards prescribed under the urban areas Act. He said, “Normally, 55% of the area of any licensed colony can be used for residential purposes and 45% has to be kept for community facilities, including roads, street lights, parks and other utility services. But in this colony, more than 75% of the land has been already used for housing purposes.”According to residents, the plan to auction the plot is technically illegal and against the urban areas Act.“This area had to be utilised for a park or other community facilities under the 1988 norms,” said Gaurav Singla, a resident.“Already, more than 75% of the society is being used for housing purposes and community facilities are lacking. Basically, all major infrastructure players got their licences during 1981–87. Till then, there were no defined norm for community facilities. It was only in 1988 that the government made provisions for the same. While private players follow these norms, it is ironic that a government body isn’t doing so. We don’t even have a community centre here,” he added.The colony RWA had also written to the chief administrator of the housing board in Panchkula earlier this month to register their protest against the proposed auction.

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