Chandigarh, January 12

The former Chief of the Army Staff, Gen VP Malik, today said that the Supreme Court order prohibiting conversion of independent residential houses into multi-storey apartments in older sectors of Chandigarh should also be extended to its sister city of Panchkula.

“Very happy to see the SC judgement highlighting needs to strike balance between sustainable development and environmental protection,” Gen Malik.

“Politicians+bureaucrats+developers/builders plundering cities without caring for environment, sustainable infrastructure, master plans and character,” he said on his Twitter handle today.

“What is good for Chandigarh should apply to Panchkula or in few years, this city will compete with Delhi, Gurugram and Bengaluru,” the former Chief, who is a resident of Panchkula, added

In September 2022, he had also written to the Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal, pointing out that construction of residential buildings up to four floors that had been put on hold, had started again.

He had said that such construction was environmentally harmful, added to congestion due to narrow lanes, violated privacy and also put unbearable strain on water supply, sewerage and drainage. He has sought a permanent ban on such construction.