B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Regularisation of colonies
Scheme fails to find favour with colonisers in Gidderbaha
Gidderbaha/Muktsar, October 7
Not even a single coloniser has come forward to apply for regularisation of illegal properties in Gidderbaha so far. Though today was the last day for receiving applications under the state scheme, the government has extended the deadline for submitting applications till October 25, reportedly due to a tepid response that the scheme drew.

Punjab hikes fee for serving liquor in marriage palaces
Moga, October 7
Even as the survey to impose a lump sump tax on marriage palaces across the state is still in progress, the SAD-BJP government has revised the categories of marriage palaces and increased the permit fee for serving liquor, which will put an extra burden on the common man’s budget of marriages in the ensuing wedding season.

Regularisation of colonies
Scheme fails to find favour with colonisers in Gidderbaha
Archit Watts/TNS

Gidderbaha/Muktsar, October 7
Not even a single coloniser has come forward to apply for regularisation of illegal properties in Gidderbaha so far. Though today was the last day for receiving applications under the state scheme, the government has extended the deadline for submitting applications till October 25, reportedly due to a tepid response that the scheme drew.

Of the total 155 unapproved colonies in the district, the maximum 75 are in Gidderbaha, including one in Doda village.

Jagsir Singh, Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Gidderbaha, said, “We have appealed to the colonisers a number of times to submit their applications by tomorrow. But no coloniser has applied so far. Only some individuals have submitted applications seeking regularisation of their residential plots and buildings.”

The details procured from the district administration further revealed that only 42 applications have been received in the district so far. Of the total 21 unapproved colonies in Malout, Kalianwali and Lambi, only 11 colonisers had submitted their applications. Similarly, of the total 59 unapproved colonies in Muktsar and Bariwala, only 31 colonisers had submitted applications till today. As per the official figures, 400 applications had come for plots and houses in Muktsar, 135 in Malout and 98 in Gidderbaha.

Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, Paramjit Singh said, "Stringent action, including snapping of power, water and sewerage connections, will be taken against the defaulters.”

Punjab hikes fee for serving liquor in marriage palaces
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, October 7
Even as the survey to impose a lump sump tax on marriage palaces across the state is still in progress, the SAD-BJP government has revised the categories of marriage palaces and increased the permit fee for serving liquor, which will put an extra burden on the common man’s budget of marriages in the ensuing wedding season.

The Excise and Taxation Department has divided the marriage palaces into four categories on the basis of the rent they charge from the consumers and accordingly fixed the slabs of permit fee to be charged from the consumers for liquor.

In a circular issued to the marriage palaces, the department has increased the permit fee for serving liquor from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,000 in palaces charging rent between Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000; Rs 9,000 to Rs 18,000 for those which charge rent between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 from the palaces which charge Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh as rent from consumers. However, no changes in liquor permit fee of Rs 4,500 has been made for the marriage palaces that are located in the villages and charge less than Rs 25,000 as rent.

The hike in liquor permit fee, effective from October 1, has been imposed for the third time in the past one year. Earlier, the hike were introduced on January 1 and April 1. In December 2012, the liquor permit fee was Rs 1,200, 2,100 and 3,850 for the three categories of the palaces.

Deepak Sandhu, president of the Moga District Marriage Palaces Association, has alleged that the hike in liquor permit fee would affect their business badly. “The lower middle and middle class people will obviously avoid hiring the marriage palaces, keeping in view of their pockets. This will result in loss of revenue to the state government”, he said.

Moga Bar holds protest against property tax, regularisation fee
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, October 7
Protesting against the state government’s decisions of levying property tax and seeking huge amounts from individual plot/building owners in the name of regularising colonies, the District Bar Association today suspended the court work for a half day.

The general secretary of the association, Sukhwinder Singh Ramuwalia, alleged that the demand of fee on the basis of new collector/circle rates was unjustified as the fee was not in consonance with the rates on which the properties were purchased by the owners. The lawyers’ body asked the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take a suo moto cognisance of these ‘unjustified’ orders of the state government in public interest. Otherwise, the courts would be flooded with litigations in view of the widespread resentment in the society.

Advocates Sunil Garg, Vijay Dhir, Nasib Singh Bawa and Iqbal Singh said property tax and regularisation fee should be based on the price at which a property is purchased rather than the current price.

The Bar also unanimously decided to charge nothing for fighting cases of those who would be affected by notices or penal action of the PUDA and the local bodies.