Gurgaon: Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has launched a crackdown on residential properties carrying out commercial activities from their premises. Officials said “around 500 homeowners across HSVP sectors 1 to 57 have so far received notices” for either running commercial activities from residential premises or violating sanctioned building plans.Estate offices 1 and 2 have stepped up surveys and have initiated action against property owners for misuse and building-plan violations. HSVP has developed sectors 1 to 57 in the city, which are divided between two estate offices. Sectors 1 to 23 fall under estate office 1, while sectors 24 to 57 are under estate office 2.The exercise has gained momentum following Supreme Court’s Sept 22 order on commercial use of residential properties. The court has directed the authorities concerned to act under their respective laws and submit a compliance report by Nov 23.According to departmental information, estate office 1 has issued notices to around 100 property owners under Section 17(3) of the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act, 1977, for commercial activities being carried out from residential properties. Another 34 cases have progressed to Section 17(4), under which property owners are given an opportunity of being heard and asked to restore the property in accordance with the sanctioned building plan and prescribed use. The office has also issued notices to around 55 owners of under-construction houses for violations of approved building plans and other building regulations.Officials said action is not limited to commercial misuse and that construction-related violations are also being scrutinised. In some cases, the process has already moved beyond notices. Departmental records indicate that estate office 1 has earlier initiated plot-resumption proceedings in around four to five cases for continued violations.In sectors 24 to 57, the exercise is also gathering pace. A senior official said around 350 to 400 homeowners had been issued notices for commercial activities in residential properties as of about 15 days ago. The survey is continuing and the number of cases is expected to increase. Under the HSVP procedure, a Section 17(3) notice is issued initially, giving the property owner time to submit a response. If the reply is not found satisfactory, a Section 17(4) notice is issued, followed by an opportunity of hearing and directions to restore the property. Continued violations can result in cancellation of the occupation certificate, followed by requests to the departments concerned for disconnection of water, sewerage and electricity connections.In persistent cases, HSVP can proceed towards resumption of the plot. Properties can subsequently be recorded on the HSVP PPM portal as cases of “misuse of property”, which can affect their sale and other transactions. Owners also have a provision to appeal against departmental orders before the administrator.
