Pay Rs100 per sq ft as compounding fee

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, July 23

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has fixed Rs 100 per sq ft as the compounding fee to be charged from allottees of EWS/LIG category houses for additional construction in their houses under the recently implemented need-based policy in the town here.

The fee was fixed at a recent meeting of the executive committee of GMADA here.

While fixing the amount, the committee made two suggestions. One, the maximum area for additional construction has to be earmarked while preparing the building plan to increase the covered area. The second was to check the common services of sewerage and water while showing these on the building plan.

The houses in question were constructed by the Punjab Housing Development Board/Punjab Urban Development Authority.

The Punjab Government had given the nod to the much-awaited need-based policy for EWS/LIG houses here on July 4. Under the policy, the government has allowed to increase the covered area in the rear courtyard of the ground floor and terraces on the upper floor (as the case may be) of houses/flats here.

The town has over 5,000 houses under the LIG/EWS categories in eight sectors (55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 66 and 70). The owners have largely benefited from the policy.

Now, residents are waiting for houses/flats of other categories, including MIG and HIG, to be brought under the policy. Talking on the issue, area MLA Balbir Singh Sidhu said he was taking up the issue with the state government. “By bringing the need-based policy, though for selected category houses, our government has kept its promise. Now, we will bring houses of other categories under the policy,” said Sidhu.

Nearly 90 per cent of the allottees in Mohali have raised unauthorised constructions in their flats/houses to meet their needs.

The authorities have fixed December 31 as the last date for availing of the benefit of the policy. No construction will be compounded after that.