Residents of Greater Faridabad plan widespread protest against Builders and Administration

Sanjay Chaturvedi

Greater Faridabad, once viewed to be the extension of Faridabad to be developed on the lines of Gurgaon and Greater Noida, is striving for basic necessities like sewer line and well planned connecting road to the main city. Greater Faridabad, expected to become the face of the old industrial city of Faridabad is itself finding it difficult to survive as a self dependent township. In order to protest against the prevailing conditions in the area, the residents are planning a protest against the builder, administration and the politicians (BAP).

A press conference was organised by the resident welfare association of Greater Faridabad residents on Wednesday at City Press Club Faridabad to share their plans of protest with the media.

The press conference was addressed by the president of the association Pramod Manocha, Kulindra Katoch, Kailash Sharma and other officer bearers of the association.

Addressing the media, Pramod Manocha said that residents from 19 societies have joined hands to protest against the step brotherly treatment the residents of township are facing in the hands of not only the builders but the government agencies too. He said that at the time of purchasing the flat in the societies in Greater Faridabad and amount of Rs.5,000 crores has been deposited by the residents with the government towards External Development Charges (EDC). It was proposed by the government to use this money in laying of proper roads in Greater Faridabad, ensuring round the clock drinking water, electricity and other such basic needs. However, the government failed to honour its word ending up with the residents facing difficult life. Since they have already poured all the savings of their lifetime in these houses, they are not in a position to move out to some other place and have no other choice but to face whatever they are forced to.

Speaking about the major demands the residents are planning to put to government at the time of protests, Manocha said that they want that whatever land is remaining in between the land and the road, should be taken over by the government. Another itching point they have been asking for is to remove the slum that have come up opposite the societies. The residents have placed their demand to move the residents of these slums to Ashiana flats already constructed by the government for these slum dwellers. He said that even if these flats are not sufficient enough to relocate all the residents, the government should make some alternate arrangements to shift these slums from the area. Manocha underlined that in an area developed in the recent years, there is no sewer line, which itself is a matter of surprise and it also reflects the immature planning of the local administration and the country planning department. As there are no sewer lines, the residents are forced to spread the sewer water into the open area.  The residents also want the local administration to install STP (Sewer Treatment Plant) in the Greater Faridabad Area. Other demands that the residents are protesting for are setting up of an Electric Sub-station, setting up of a fire station equipped with the facilities to reach out to the high risers in the case of a fire, providing drinking water, completion of rainy well project, making arrangements for disposal of solid waste, providing for storm water drainage system and providing a police station in the Greater Faridabad.  The residents said that are planning a massive protest that would force the government to pay a heed to their demands.