Punjab passes Bill to regularise illegal colonies

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday presented the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to do away with NOC for getting properties registered in illegal colonies.

The bill was tabled on the second day of the three-day Assembly session.

The Chief Minister said all those who have either purchased the plots before July 31, or those who have paid the initial money and can prove that the sale is legal, would benefit under the amended Act.

“All such transactions of plots will be considered as legal transactions, and all civic amenities will be provided to such plot holders,” Mann said.

The Bill was later passed unanimously in the House.

There are 14000 illegal colonies in Punjab and thousands of plot holders in such colonies stand to benefit.

The previous Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had brought Punjab Laws (Special Provisions for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2018, that specified that the sale agreements of such colonies or individual plots must have been executed before March 19, 2018. Now, the amendment will extend the cut-off date to July 31, 2024

During the last SAD-BJP government, Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2013, was brought and amendments made in 2014 and 2016 to compound violations in illegal colonies and individual plots.

Officials said despite several meetings among officials of the Housing and Urban Development, Local Bodies and Revenue Departments, plot holders continued to face harassment for obtaining NOCs.

The department had issued instructions to check mushrooming of illegal colonies in Punjab.