India, April 4 -- The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the operation of the Haryana Government's 'stilt-plus-four floors' policy for residential plots, observing that the State appears to have put public safety at risk merely to earn more revenue.

The interim order came on a petition challenging the July 2, 2024, order issued by the additional chief secretary of the town and country planning department. The order had permitted construction of 'stilt-plus-four floors' on residential plots, raising the earlier cap of 'stilt-plus-three floors'. It had also introduced a composition mechanism even in cases where building plans had not been approved.

The order was passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Just...