HUDA group housing societies draw for Panchkula challenged

Chandigarh, Sep 5 (UNI) A plea to quash the allotment of one acre plots by the Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA) at Panchkula for group housing co-operative societies came up for preliminary consideration in the Punjab and Haryana High Court today amid allegations that the process of draw of lots was changed to suit conveniences.

The matter has been brought before the Court jointly by the Vijaya Bank Employees Group Housing Society and the Professors Group Housing Society, both of them were declared successful in the draw but denied allotment for want of availability of specified size of plots applied by the petitioners.

It was argued by the counsel for the petitioners that while the respondents had allotted an acre plot to the Unique Group Housing Society of MLAs and MPs and to another society by conveniently merging two half-acre plots as in the draw these societies had been successful only for a plot of half-acre each, the same yardstick was not applied in their case.

The MLAs and MPs society had applied for allotment of an acre's plot. The petitioners had applied for a plot of half an acre each but were declared successful for an acre's plot each.

However, the authorities conducting the draw declined the allotment on the ground that they had not applied for an acre's plot and that half acre plots had become unavailable.

According to the counsel, the very decision of HUDA to hold a common draw for plots measuring an acre and half-acre, instead of conducting these separately for two different sizes created this situation.

If MLAs and MPs Group Housing Society could be allotted an acre by merging two half-acre plots, it could well be done in their case also by bifurcating an acre plot into two half acre plots, the counsel further pointed out while seeking directions to quash the allotment of one acre plots draw, which had been conducted on August 25 at Panchkula and to allot plot of an acre or half an acre to the petitioners as they were successful in the draw of lots.

He cited the case of draw for Gurgaon Group Housing Societies where such an allotment had been done in the case of successful candidates by bifurcation or merger of plots.

After the preliminary hearing, the division bench of Justices Viney Mittal and H S Bhalla issued notices to the chief administrator, HUDA, and the estate officer, HUDA for September 25.

The bench also said the allotment would be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.

UNI XC DP AD RS1919