One-time settlement: Low budget hotels, homestays resent new regularisation policy

Neeraj Bagga

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 20

Unauthorised low budget lodges and stay homes have resented government’s newly released the government’s proposed One-Time Settlement (OTS) of non-compoundable violations in residential houses, commercial shops and institutional buildings, constructed in contravention of by-laws for its high compounding fee of Rs 385 per square feet.

While the policy overlooks the by-laws crucial in case of manmade and natural disasters. They reasoned that a majority of these violators were small budget stay homes being run by people with humble resources.

The Punjab One-time Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement of Building constructed in violations of the Building by-laws Bill, 2021 offers unauthorised hotels and lodges a window to go for one-time settlement for non-compoundable building violations made in respect of buildings constructed in the Municipal Corporations, municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats.

The act will cease to operate on the expiry of one year from the date of its commencement. It states that ‘non-compoundable violation’ means construction made in violation of the sanctioned plan or without getting the plan sanctioned from the competent authority, whole or part of which is non-compoundable under the provisions of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 or the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922.

According to Surinder Singh, president of Federation of Hotels, Guest Houses Association, a majority of the small lodges and stay homes were situated in the walled city. “High compounding fee of Rs 385 per square feet will not be affordable for budgetary hotels.

As per it, if a lodge on 100 square yard has three storeys, it would have a covered area of 2,700. On multiplying 2,700 with Rs 385, the compounding fee would be Rs 10,39,500. It will be exorbitant for lodges running in houses. Previous MC by-laws say that those buildings which have extended front on the roadside can never be authorised.

There are about 400 hotels and lodges inside the walled city and only six of them have been approved. In addition, there are around 50 unauthorised properties under the hospitality category which are situated outside the walled city.

The proposed One-Time Settlement (OTS) of non-compoundable violations, constructed in contravention of by-laws ignored the role of MTP officials and did not fix their responsibility in timely pointing out the violation.

It also fixed its maximum height at 50 feet. Surjit Sharma, a disaster expert, stated that this height may not be conducive for the serpentine, narrow winding lanes of the walled city. As in case of a disaster, it would be difficult to carry out the rescue operations. He reminded that the losses in the 2017 Ludhiana fire tragedy could have been curtailed if it would have complied with the (Floor Area Ratio) FAR norms.