Losing the plot

Delhi resident claims Haryana Urban Development Authority has wrongfully withheld allotment of a piece of land to him for eight years

The tag on the prospectus read: "Once in a lifetime You build a home." And Om Parkash Arora was hooked. Based on the advertisement by Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) of sale of residential plots in different sectors of Palam Vihar, Gurgaon, the Keshavpuram resident decided to try his luck in March 2002. By the end of the year he received information that he had got lucky. Or had he?


Land loss: Om Parkash Arora has not yet been handed over an alternate
plot of land as promised by HUDA. Pic/Mid Day

Exciting offer
"HUDA came up with an advertisement offering residential plots in sectors 42, 1 and 2. I applied (application No. 014040) and paid the application money of Rs 32,532. Soon I was informed that a plot would be provided to me against my application," added 65-year-old Arora.

Arora was informed later in 2002 that a plot (No. 49 of area 83.60 sq mt) at sector 1-B Palam Vihar Gurgaon was allotted to him on freehold basis. The letter sent by HUDA also said: "In case you accept this allotment, please send your acceptance by registered post along with an amount of Rs.48,798 within 30 days from the date of issue of this allotment letter which together with an amount of Rs 32,532 already paid with application will constitute 25% of the total tentative price. The balance amount Rs 2,43,990 of the above tentative price of the plot can be paid in lump sum without interest within 60 days from the date of issue of letter or in six annual installments with interest."

Never-ending wait
As per instructions the full tentative cost of the allotted plot was paid by the victim in 2002-03. After waiting for a period of five years, in 2007, Arora got an offer to take possession of the plot within a period of one month. He was asked to come and collect the letter from the HUDA office. Accordingly he visited the office at Gurgaon and requested permission to take possession of the plot after completing all the requisite documents.
"I was given a target date i.e. August 15, 2007 and informed that a letter would be sent very soon. The target date passed and no letter came. I visited the HUDA office again and again till December 2007 to find out the status of possession of the plot but no satisfactory reply was given to me," said Arora.

Finally in the first week of January 2008, Arora received a letter. All his euphoria vanished when he went through it. The letter sent by Sub Divisional Engineer stated, "I, HUDA stating that the possession of the plot cannot be given due to CWP No.1119/2000 titled as Rita Singh Vs State of Haryana which is pending in the Hon'ble High Court of Haryana. As and when the above said CWP is decided, the action to give possession of the plot will be taken accordingly."

Any alternative?
Thereafter Arora wrote several letters to HUDA and visited its office to try and sort out the issue, but all in vain. Finally, the authority agreed to offer an alternate plot to him in lieu of the disputed piece of land after the approval of competent authority. "I have been running from pillar to post now and so many years have passed but I am still waiting for my alternate plot."

"So many years have passed and HUDA is still sitting on the money of general public. They are making fools out of the common people. Had this been done by a private body/contractor, they would have been in jail by now," said activist SP Manchanda who had filed an RTI plea regarding the issue. When MID DAY contacted HUDA officials, they refused to comment claiming ignorance about the case.

Huda reply
An RTI plea was filed in this case by activist SP Manchanda, to ascertain why the plot which was in dispute in 2000 was allotted in 2002 to Arora and offered possession of in 2007 after receiving full payment in 2002-03.
HUDA replied, "A total number of seven plots are under litigation and the facts came into HUDA's notice only in December, 2007. A proposal has been sent to Chief Administrator HUDA Panchkula for allotment of alternate plots and the approval is still awaited."