Employees’ demands clarity over role of HUDA after formation of GDA

GURUGRAM: Apprehensive about the future of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) after formation of Gurugram Development Authority (GDA) employees of urban development body called upon (HUDA) administrator on Monday to express their reservation over formation of new organisation. Employees threaten to protest if HUDA was downsized in the process of formation of GDA.
"First state government gave all the licenses to private developers in new sectors 58-115, depriving HUDA of its core job to develop new sectors.Then bulk of existing (developed) sectors were transferred to MCG and now they are forming GDA by taking away important role and responsibilities of HUDA," said president of Huda Karamchari Ekta Committee (HKEC), Sadhu Ram adding that state government is destroying HUDA in a well-planned manner.
Employees threaten to protest, organise rally and go on strike if HUDA was merged with any other organisation or stripped of its role of and responsibilities.
"We have decided to protest at HUDA headquarter in Panchkula on November 9 and join protest rally of government employees on December 11 at Jind," said Ramnivas Thakran from HKEC.
President of Diploma Engineers Association of HUDA, Sandeep Lot said at present HUDA act as primary organisation for development and maintenance of infrastructure in the city. "As per the proposed draft after formation of GDA, HUDA will be stripped of infrastructure development and maintenance work and left with only work of estate management," said Lot adding that the properties of HUDA is also expected to be transferred to GDA, so technically HUDA will be left with nothing substantial and organisation will be reduced to a shadow of its past.
He said instead of strengthening the existing organisation, which has been taking care of the city, government is dismantling it to create a new organisation. They claim that instead of solving the problem they are replacing a problem with another. "We will oppose any move to weaken HUDA," said Balwan Singh, one of the employees, adding that they will also meet OSD GDA to express their reservations.
Employees demanded that government should first clarify the status and role of HUDA and its employees after formation of GDA. "We are also demanding that HUDA employees, who were transferred to MCG at the time of sector transfer, should be brought back," he said.