Over 1,000 plots of different sizes will be allotted during the draw, GMADA Chief Administrator (CA) Vivek Partap Singh told Newsline.

However, the eight-year-old wait of the allottees to get physical possession of the allotted plots will continue as a litigation is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

During the resumed hearing in the case pertaining to a dispute over 100 acres of land scattered over these sectors, the High Court had, on February 3, granted time to the Punjab government till March 16 to take a final decision in the matter.

If the state government fails to take any action, then the court will decide the issue on its merits, the court had said.

On the last date of hearing on January 23, the government had told the High Court that it has decided to allot alternative sites to those landowners who had not yet accepted the monetary compensation for their land acquired in Sector 76-80. It, however, took a virtual U-turn on February 3, refused to take any decision in their regard and left it on the Council of Ministers.

Following protest against the delay in remaining allotments, the GMADA has decided to hold the draw of lots for the viable plots available in the area outside disputed land. A formal note in this regard was sent to the Punjab Chief Minister on Friday, who is also the GMADA chairman, for information and formal approval.

During the last two draw of lots in 2008 and 2007, the GMADA had allotted 2,523 of the total 3,931 plots carved out in the urban estate.

Housing Estate Officer (EO) Subhash Rana, who holds the additional charge of GMADA EO, told Newsline that after the rejection of certain letters of intent following technical reasons, around 1,350 plots remained to be allotted besides around 250 other pieces of land. Of the total 4,446 carved out plots, 980 fall under litigation area.

The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) had acquired about 1,400 acres to develop the urban estate in Sectors 76-80 in 2001. 

While owners of the acquired land covering 1,200 acres had accepted monetary compensation, those of over 100 acres had rejected the compensation, calling it ‘meager’.