Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed Haryana’s “stilt plus four” building policy- Major setback to ex CM Manohar Lal, who is widely regarded as the architect of this ill-conceived policy

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana- Pawan Kumar Bansal.

In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed Haryana’s “stilt plus four” building policy, delivering a major setback to former Chief Minister Manohar Lal, who is widely regarded as the architect of this ill-conceived policy, reportedly introduced under pressure from the builder lobby.
While hearing a batch of petitions, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sandeep Berry stayed the implementation of the policy until the next hearing on April 8, citing inadequate infrastructure.
It is noteworthy that former Army Chief General V. P. Malik, who settled in Panchkula after retirement, had earlier written to the then Chief Minister opposing the policy. However, not only was his letter left unanswered, it was not even formally acknowledged.
The Court observed, “It appears that the State of Haryana, merely to generate more revenue, has put the safety and security of the general public at stake.” It further remarked, “It thus seems that the State Government has abdicated its constitutional duty to ensure a clean and healthy urban environment for the citizens of Gurugram.”
A crucial factor that weighed with the Court was the stark mismatch between the prescribed planning norms and the ground realities.