Gurgaon: Department of town and country planning (DTCP) will recover demolition costs from more than 200 properties.In fact, DTCP has already begun recovering the costs from properties where enforcement action has been carried out for violations, with owners being asked to pay Rs 12,500 for each property.While recovery notices have been issued to more than 20 property owners, over 200 properties — which have faced demolition action during the ongoing crackdown across licensed colonies — are set to get notices altogether.The latest recovery notices are part of a wider enforcement campaign by DTCP in the city. The department has been issuing show-cause notices and restoration orders in several licensed colonies, including Sushant Lok, Ardee City, South City and other residential areas, followed by sealing or demolition where violations have not been removed.The recovery of demolition charges adds a financial component to the enforcement process. While demolition removes the violation, officials said recovering the cost would ensure that the “burden of enforcement does not entirely fall on the department”.The exercise is likely to intensify the debate among residents over both enforcement and the manner in which planning violations are dealt with across the city’s licensed colonies.Residents have offered mixed reactions to the demolition and recovery drive.Samhita, a Sushant Lok 1 resident, welcomed the action, saying repeated violations had affected roads, parking and the overall character of residential colonies and that violators should not expect taxpayers or authorities to bear the cost of removing illegal structures.She added that recovering demolition expenses could also act as a deterrent against people making unauthorised additions in the first place.Others questioned the blanket recovery of Rs 12,500, particularly in cases where residents claimed that constructions had existed for years and that enforcement had been inconsistent.Abhinav Kumar, another resident from DLF 1, sought clarity on how the amount had been calculated and whether the same recovery mechanism would apply uniformly to all properties facing action.District town planner (enforcement) Amit Madholia had earlier said the department was taking action against violations across several licensed colonies.The ongoing drive has included demolition and sealing of structures that officials found to be in violation of approved plans or occupying spaces meant for roads, parking and other common uses.Officials have maintained that the action is aimed at restoring compliance with sanctioned building plans and preventing residential properties from being converted or modified in ways that violate planning norms. The department has also been focusing on encroachments and structures affecting public or common spaces.Officials said notices would be served on all properties where demolition has been carried out, making the violator responsible for the cost incurred by the department in removing unauthorised structures.The recovery move comes as DTCP steps up its enforcement drive against illegal constructions, encroachments and misuse of residential properties for commercial purposes.
