The matter of allocating plots to Kashmiri Pandit families resettled in Bahadurgarh, Haryana’s Jhajjar district over three decades ago, has finally been concluded by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The state government confirmed on Tuesday that it has adjusted external development charges (EDC) to Rs 935 per square yard, with no interest to be paid by the allottees.
After the submission, the high court directed that the government that the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) will now raise the demand for the revised EDC after adjusting the paid amount and refunding the extra charges. Once the demand of due EDC (based on interest-free revised rate) is received from the HSVP, the allottees will have two weeks to pay that amount. Once the EDC dues are cleared, they will get regular letters of allotment within six weeks.
The division bench of justice Arun Palli and justice Vikram Aggarwal passed these orders based on the petition of Roop Krishen Koul and other Kashmiri Pandits who had asked for the allotted land for resettlement in Haryana. Referring to the many orders that had come from different coordinate benches from time to time, the counsel for the HSVP had last week submitted that the petitioners had taken physical possession of the plots already based on provisional letter of allotment dated June 19, 2023.
He has stated that the remaining dispute for consideration pertains to the EDC. It is acknowledged that some petitioners have made partial payments of this fee, and the issuance of regular letters of allotment is imminent now that the matter has been conclusively resolved. Following clarification from the HSVP regarding the EDC, the high court has resolved and closed the case.