Gurgaon: Demolition of golf course on panchayat land begins

Authorities here on Friday began demolition of a golf course, an illegal encroachment by a private builder, on 46 acres of panchayat land, as ordered by the district magistrate (DM).

The land has a market price of Rs 200 crore and belongs to joint Panchayat of Gairatpur Bas and Sakatpur villages.

Gurgaon DM Vinay Pratap Singh had directed the district officials, block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) to constitute a team comprising civil and police officials to remove illegal encroachment on the land.

A complaint was lodged in the matter by advocate Ram Lal Narula, who is a resident of Gairatpur Bas village, in September 2016.

According to revenue guidelines, such land can only be allotted to villagers for residential purposes. It cannot be sold to people from other villages or private builders for commercial purpose.

Narula alleged that the then sarpanch of the two villages sold the 46 acres of land to a private builder with the help of zone officials.

The land was encroached between 2002-2003, he said.

Duty magistrate Kumari Navneet Kumar said two walls of the golf course on the panchayat's land had been demolished.

The administration is in the process of identifying other encroached lands, she said.