Gurgaon: Haryana govt has once again put the brakes on stilt-plus-four (S+4) residential buildings across the state following proceedings before the Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday.The department of town and country planning (DTCP) issued directions on Wednesday evening instructing all competent authorities to stop granting new approvals for S+4 residential buildings till further orders.According to an official communication issued by the DTCP director, the decision was taken as the framework for online building plan approvals, self-certification and other administrative mechanisms for regulating such constructions has not yet been finalised. As a result, all fresh approvals have been kept in abeyance.The order directs all concerned authorities not to approve any pending or fresh applications for S+4 buildings. It also instructs officials to suspend acceptance of such applications on the online building plan approval portal with immediate effect till further directions are issued.Copies of the communication have been sent to the chief administrator of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, the urban local bodies department, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, senior town planners, district town planners and other concerned authorities for compliance.The development came after the HC heard the matter relating to a petition filed by Sunil Singh against the Haryana govt. Senior advocate Nivedita Sharma appeared on behalf of the petitioner during the proceedings.During Tuesday’s hearing before the acting Chief Justice, the court observed that no fresh approvals for S+4 buildings should be granted for the time being. Following the proceedings, the DTCP issued fresh administrative directions extending the restriction across Haryana.The latest order effectively restores a statewide freeze on new S+4 approvals until the govt puts in place the required regulatory and digital approval framework or further directions are issued by the court.The issue of S+4 residential buildings has remained under judicial scrutiny for several months. Earlier, the HC imposed a statewide stay on such constructions. In subsequent hearings, however, the court modified its interim directions and confined the restriction to the city, allowing approvals in the rest of Haryana to resume.The litigation centres on concerns over the regulation, approval process and implementation mechanism governing high-density residential development under the state’s stilt-plus-four policy.
