14 years on, GMADA yet to hand over showrooms against acquired land

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Even though the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) had acquired land for the IT City housing scheme at Aerocity in December 2011, around 300 landowners from seven villages, who had applied under the land pooling scheme, are still awaiting possession of their showrooms.
Through the land pooling scheme, owners were to be provided with residential or commercial plots instead of monetary compensation in lieu of their land. The size of each showroom is 100 square yards. In contrast, GMADA had already given possession of residential plots in IT City in 2019.
According to records, letters of intent (LOIs) were issued in 2013 for 100 square yards SCOs and booths, based on entitlement. The draw for allotment of commercial sites and booths to LOI holders was conducted in August 2021. However, more than three and a half years later, the original allottees have still not received allotment letters or possession of their sites, preventing them from constructing buildings and starting businesses to earn a livelihood.
One allottee, Harpal Singh, said, 'GMADA had acquired the land more than a decade ago but has still not given us possession of the showrooms under the land pooling scheme, despite repeated requests.'
He added, 'On the other hand, Manav Rachna School and companies such as Infosys and HDFC have already constructed their buildings and are running their operations. It is unclear why GMADA is delaying possession when the infrastructure at the site is already complete.'
When contacted, a senior GMADA officer said, 'There are some issues related to services and the alignment of the choe (seasonal stream) passing through the area. We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved soon and possession will be handed over in the next few months.'
Another landowner, Sajjan Singh of Chajumajra village, expressed his disappointment, stating, 'There is a lot of discontentment among allottees due to the non-issuance of allotment letters and possession. Many of our children are unemployed and our livelihood is at risk as our agricultural land was acquired way back in 2011. Although the draw for commercial plots was conducted and numbers allotted in 2021, possession has still not been given. Our children and family members are waiting to start their businesses to support the family.'
The IT City spans 1,722 acres across Sectors 66-B, 82-A, 83-A and 101-A, adjacent to Airport Road. The first housing scheme in IT City was launched in February 2014, offering 325 residential plots at ₹23,500 per square yard. The second scheme was launched in July 2016 with 750 plots at ₹20,000 per square yard. The most recent one was launched in April 2018.