Ipsita Pati | Hindustan Times | Feb 16, 2018
Reacting to the proposal to relocate the Kherki Daula toll plaza to Sehrawan, where the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) requires 65 acres of land for the purpose, the Manesar panchayat on Friday wrote to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar stating that the proposed land comes under the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900, and as such, non-forest activity is prohibited there.
Of the 65 acres, which the NHAI requires for the toll plaza, 59 acres come under the Manesar gram sabha. The members of panchayat are against giving away forest land as the area is part of the Aravalli forests.
“The area is under the ambit of gram panchayats of Manesar, Sehrawan, and Kukrola. The gram sabha of Manesar has passed an amended resolution on November 9, saying it will not hand over the land to the state for shifting the toll plaza. A copy of this resolution was received in the office of deputy commissioner, Gurgaon, on December 8. The state cannot take over the land until and unless it’s released by the gram sabha. This fact is validated and backed by the law — the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961,” stated the letter by Ramavtar Yadav, former head, Manesar panchayat.
Yadav also said they would move to National Green Tribunal over the issue, if the government failed to protect the Aravallis.
The present panchayat head, Poonam Kumari, also submitted a resolution to the CM’s office stating that the government should try to manage the toll plaza at its existing location and it should plan to expand the existing toll plaza by a few more lanes for smooth movement of traffic.
On August 14, last year, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari had announced shifting of the toll plaza from Kherki Daula for ease of business and better traffic movement between Gurgaon and Manesar.
The forest and wildlife department officials have confirmed that the area in Sehrawan is owned by the panchayats and that, so far, they have not received any application requesting a clearance for the project.
“Sehrawan comes under gair mumkin pahar (non-cultivable area) of the Aravallis and the district administration has to seek permission from the forest department. But, we have not received any application for the same,” Vinod Kumar, conservator of wildlife, South Haryana, said.
The Gurgaon district administration said that it yet to write to the forest department for clearance. When asked about the panchayat’s stand in the issue, Vinay Pratap Singh, the deputy commissioner of Gurgaon, said, “Will examine the letters.”
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