Chandigarh, April 4 -- Acting on an interim order of the Punjab and Haryana high court, the Haryana government has put on hold all approvals related to the controversial July 2, 2024 stilt+four policy for residential plots, pending further directions. In an April 3 communication, director, town and country planning directed housing for all department, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), urban local bodies, and Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) to immediately suspend approvals for such constructions. The move follows the HC's April 2 order in Sunil Singh vs State of Haryana, which stayed the operation of the July 2, 2024 order of town and country planning department permitting stilt-plus-four floors in urban areas. "It is requested to kindly put all such approvals in respect of construction of stilt+four floors in residential plots on hold till such embargo is removed by HC,'' reads the communication. The HC, while granting interim relief, restrained the state government from proceeding with the policy, citing serious concerns over inadequate urban infrastructure, particularly in Gurugram. It observed that allowing additional floors without sufficient capacity in sewage, drainage, road networks and other civic services would further burden a city, already grappling with congestion and flooding. The HC also flagged findings from ground inspections showing that internal roads in several residential areas had effectively shrunk, worsening traffic movement and safety conditions. The HC also cited the recommendations of an expert committee headed by former IAS officer, P Raghavendra Rao which mandated a prior infrastructure capacity audit before implementing the policy. The recommendation was ignored by the state government while implementing the stilt-plus-four policy. The HC also noted that permitting additional floors without adequate infrastructure would overburden Gurgaon, which is already under severe stress due to deficiencies in sewage, drainage, STPs, traffic movement and recurring flooding in low-lying areas. The issue, the HC observed, was intrinsically linked to infrastructure augmentation. In this context, the town and country planning department reiterated that despite multiple communications since May 2024 seeking a detailed standard operating procedure for infrastructure capacity audits, HSVP has yet to furnish the same, and has now been again asked to provide it urgently to enable further action. The department has also pointed out that Rs.689.80 crore collected under the purchasable development rights have been transferred to HSVP in September 2024 but the utilisation status of these funds has not been furnished so far....