Continuing its special drive against unauthorised layouts in the twin cities, Hubballi-Dharwad Urban Development Authority (HDUDA) began clearance of structures erected in unauthorised residential layouts in Dharwad on Wednesday.
HDUDA began the drive on Mantur Road in Hubballi two days ago and on Wednesday, it cleared structures in unauthorised layouts in Dharwad.
HDUDA Chairman Nagesh Kalburgi led the drive in a bid to send a strong message to those engaged in developing residential layouts without getting valid permissions from the competent authorities.
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On Wednesday, the HDUDA staff, under police security, cleared structures in 12 unauthorised layouts that had come up at Hosayellapur and Charantimath Gardens. Using earthmovers, electricity poles and boundary stones were removed.
The land owners did enter into arguments with the HDUDA officials and raised objection to the drive. However, the authorities warned them and continued with the clearance drive.
Commissioner of HDUDA Vinayak palankar said that although notice were issued twice to the owners of the unauthorised layouts, they failed to respond to them. Consequently, they had to take action and demolish the structures in the illegal layouts, he said.
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HDUDA Chairman Nagesh Kalburagi said that the drive was aimed at protecting gullible people from fraud. Those investing in these layouts had no protection from law and there had been several cases of the same plots being sold to multiple persons.
“Land owners who want to develop residential layouts, should compulsorily convert their agriculture land into NA (non-agriculture) land and then get requisite permissions before selling them to the general public. I also appeal to people against investing their hard earned money in such illegal layouts,” he said.
HDUDA has identified 120 illegal layouts that have come up on the outskirts of the twin cities and of them, 21 are in Dharwad. Mr. Kalburgi said the drive would continue.