No proposal to amend Act, bring in more area under lal dora: Govt in LS

There is no relief in sight for people who have carried out constructions outside the ‘lal dora’ in the city. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has stated that there is no proposal to amend the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952.

During the ongoing Lok Sabha session, city MP Manish Tewari asked whether the Union Government plans to amend laws, including the Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, to make it more relevant to the current urban realities.

In reply, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State for Home Affairs, said there was no such proposal.

Tewari also asked that to what extent the government justified applying the “lal dora” regulations to 22 villages, now under the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh, given it was a rural revenue concept to distinguish between populated areas and agricultural land in a village.

The MP also sought to know the steps being taken to ensure uniform infrastructure development across the city, irrespective of the “lal dora” demarcation, and the manner in which the continuation of the concept aligned with the urban planning and objectives of the Master Plan-2031.

The minister replied that the development outside the “lal dora” was regulated by the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, which had been notified in exercise of powers under The Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) Act, 1952 and The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952.

“Construction within Lal Dora is governed by the Chandigarh Rural Inhabitations (Area within Red Line of Revenue Estates, Abadi Areas) Construction and Reconstruction Building Bylaws for villages (both within and outside municipal limits) falling in Union Territory of Chandigarh, 2017, which provides for permissible commercial activities,” he said, adding that construction outside it is governed by the Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban)-2017.

As per The Punjab New Capital (Periphery) Control Act, 1952, no person is allowed to erect or re-erect any building in area outside the lal dora without permission.

The MP also asked about the measures being taken to provide water and sanitation facilities outside the lal dora, particularly in light of the recent disconnection of water connections.

The minister said the release of water connection is governed by the Chandigarh Water Supply Bylaws, 2011, wherein the MC can release water connections only within the red line/lal dora. “Disconnection of unauthorised water connections is a continuous process and is undertaken by the municipal authorities from time to time. Sanitation facilities are provided by the MC in the city,” he added.

centre ducking questions: Tewari

Saying that the Home Minister has yet again ducked his questions, Tewari asked how the concept of lal dora was relevant any longer when the areas within the erstwhile limit and outside the 22 villages of the city had been incorporated within the municipal limits and how anyone could distinguish and discriminate between what was inside the lal dora and what was outside. He accused the Union Government of hiding behind the inane rules as it had no satisfactory answer to the serious issues being faced by the city.