Chandigarh, August 10
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed a scam worth Rs 182.46 crore related to an illegal construction of a multi-storeyed building on notified land and consequent unauthorised sale of commercial office spaces in Faridabad.
“The officials of MC, Faridabad (MCF), Urban Local Bodies Department, Forest Department and Revenue Department had facilitated such gross violations by the Developer,” said the CAG.
During the examination of issues (November-December 2021), it came out that the developer — Godavari Shilpkala Pvt Ltd — had been granted permission for change in land use (CLU) on March 12, 1992, by the Chief Administrator-cum-Director, Town and Country Planning, Faridabad Complex Administration, for a stretch of 5.5 acre in the revenue estate of Lakkarpur village for development and use of the land as ‘Recreational, Cultural and Hotel Complex’. The land has been categorised as non-cultivable hills (gair mumkin pahar). On the developer’s request, the MCF allotted 3.93-acre more land in 1995 in Lakkarpur village, which was a PLPA notified land.
Two specific conditions were prescribed on the developer that the site would be used for recreational, cultural and hotel complex, while it was not to be sub-divided, as per the CLU agreement.
However, the developer planned five building blocks on the 5.5-acre stretch, of which four were interconnected towers. The fifth block was a separate building constructed later. The developer planned another multi-storey building having nine floors for commercial offices on the 3.93-acre stretch. Though, the use for commercial offices was prohibited, the MCF still approved building plans.
The developer was selling office space since December 2011. But the MCF got to know about it in 2020. The MCF Commissioner ordered (April 8, 2021) sealing of the premises of the Pinnacle Business Tower, but the audit (December 2, 2021) found that, it was not sealed.
In fact, all 10 sold out units, which were made out to be the ground for sealing the premises, were open and not sealed. Contrarily eight other units were found sealed with a white tape. It came out that some conveyance deeds of office spaces were registered without signatures of the Sub-Registrar, Faridabad. The sale deeds had been drafted to convey creation of third-party rights restricted to commercial offices and there was no reference to sub-division of land.
Despite being a part of the notified PLPA area, the MCF records do not refer to any consultation or NOC from the Forest Department before making allotment. The Forest Range Officer had issued an NOC in 2006 despite not being competent to do so and had facilitated non-forestry activities in contravention to the forest laws, the CAG said.
