Gurgaon: More than 50 property owners from Golf Course Road and other sectors met town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia on Wednesday, seeking a commercial conversion policy for residential properties being used for business. Instead of enforcement action, they want a mechanism to pay prescribed conversion charges and comply with regulations.The owners said Golf Course Road, an arterial road in the city, has changed significantly following widening, rising traffic and development of surrounding areas, making continued residential-only use of many properties impractical. They said commercial establishments that have come up along the corridor over the years now support a large number of jobs and contribute to govt revenue through various taxes and charges. Such a policy, the delegation said, could bring existing commercial properties within the legal framework while generating additional revenue for the govt.The demand comes at a time when enforcement agencies have stepped up scrutiny of commercial activities run from residential properties in different parts of Gurgaon.The owners urged the authorities to consider ground realities and to hear all stakeholders before acting against properties where commercial activity has run for years. They proposed that the govt frame a conversion policy under which owners would pay prescribed charges and comply with specified planning and building norms.Property owner Arvind Khanna said the owners were not looking for a confrontation with the govt or the town planning department but wanted a practical solution to a situation that had developed over the years. “If the govt brings a conversion policy, property owners are willing to pay the prescribed charges and comply with the applicable regulations,” he said.Ashok Aggarwal said the scale of commercial activity along the corridor could not be ignored. He said the road, which is around 60 metres wide, carries a large volume of traffic every day and has commercial establishments on both sides. He claimed that several liquor vends had also come up in the area.Nilesh Gupta said the demand should not be construed as an attempt to encourage unauthorised commercial activity. “We are asking the govt to provide a legal route to bring existing properties within the regulatory framework,” he said.The delegation requested Madholia to forward their representation to the state govt and initiate discussions with chief minister’s office and the departments concerned. A conversion framework, if the govt considers one, could provide a regulatory mechanism for properties whose surrounding land-use character has changed over time.“We have received the representation from the property owners of Golf course Road. It will be forwarded to the headquarters for further consideration,” Madholia told TOI.
