Islampur threatens to bring Gurgaon to halt over encroachment drive

GURGAON: Residents of Islampur village who had blocked Subhash Chowk on the Gurgaon-Sohna road on May 10, protesting against the demolition order by HUDA administrator Praveen Kumar, threatened that if the authorities take any action, then the panchayats of 360 villages will bring the whole of Gurgaon to a halt.
HUDA officials had come to the village after Kumar ordered demolition of all the shops and houses, claiming that they all were HUDA’s property.The villagers lodged a complaint with the deputy commissioner who assured them that appropriate action would be taken after a proper investigation. However, no action has been taken yet. “We have been living here for years. HUDA is claiming our land. It is not only unfair but also a breach of the villagers’ trust. We will bring the entire city to a halt if it takes any inappropriate action,” said Bhim Singh Thakran, councillor of Ward 27.
The councillor said the HUDA officials had come to the village on May 8 without notice and at a time when all the courts had closed for the day. The officials had come with bulldozers and other machines to demolish shops and houses. To protest the authority’s move, the panchayats of 25 villages blocked the Gurgaon-Sohna road, disrupting the traffic during the peak hour.
An FIR was lodged against the entire village at the Sadar police station. The villagers along with their councillors also registered a complaint with the deputy commissioner.
“Our lands are 200 years old and have been passed on to us by our ancestors. Our village does not have green belts but this can’t be the reason for anyone to take away our source of livelihood. Our sons and grandsons are dependent on these lands,” said Hari Singh, a farmer from Islampur.
Accusing HUDA of favouring the private sector, Thakran said: “Everyone should ask the administrator what he has done for the residents of the village and to solve their problems”. “Where were they when we constructed these shops and houses,” said Sube Singh, another villager.