Haryana assembly clash over unauthorized Colonies, CM assures probe

During the winter session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly on Friday, a clash between the ruling and opposition parties occurred on the issue of regularizing unauthorized colonies. The issue was raised by Rohatak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra. Allegations were made from both sides regarding providing protection to those involved in cutting illegal colonies. In response, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar proposed an investigation into the matter. Batra had demanded information from the government about the unauthorized colonies cut during the current term, comparing it with the previous government’s actions. In his reply, Urban Local Bodies Minister Dr. Kamal Gupta stated that there were 11,665 unauthorized colonies in the state until 2014. However, during the current government’s tenure, 5,300 colonies have come into existence. As Batra began making serious allegations against the government, Speaker Gian Chand Gupta intervened and took charge. Gupta advised Batra to ask his questions without giving a speech. Batra accused the government of protecting illegal colonies, prompting him to demand an investigation into which individuals were involved in cutting colonies and what actions the government took against them. In response, the Chief Minister stated that an inquiry would also be conducted into unauthorized colonies cut during the Congress regime. He assured that the names of those involved in cutting colonies would be made public, and complete information about the irregularities would be provided.