Of 348 illegal colonies, only 12 approach MC for nod

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, February 12

As many as 348 colonies established after 1995, which falls under the Municipal Corporation limits, are still not regularised or not even approved, though over a decade has elapsed and many mayors have changed.

Feb 17 last date to apply

The last date for the colonisers to apply for the approval is February 17.

As per information, till now only 12 colonisers have approached the corporation.

Assistant Town Planner (ATP) Lakhbir Singh said the corporation would remain open on Saturday and Sunday.

The officials said strong action would be taken against those colonisers who would not approach them to get approval.

According to the policy, following will be the charges for regularisation: For the colonies which were established before August 17, 2007, the fees will be taken according to the half per cent of the collector rates. For the colonies which were established after 2007, till March 31, 2011, 2 per cent of the collector rate charges will be taken. For those established after April 2013 to March 2018, the fees will be taken according to 6 per cent of the collector rates. Besides, plot holders will also get their plots approved. There is no deadline for the plot holders. But from April 1, the rate will be increased by 15 per cent.

Congress councillor Des Raj Jassal had been raising this point for long and had also talked about the issue in the previous General House meeting, in which he had strongly put up that if the colonies which were established were approved/regularised, then the corporation would have earned approximately Rs 350 crore.

Experts said though the city was expanding and population was increasing, no residential colony had been made by the government and if there was any government colony its residents are troubled due to various issues such as arbitrary enhancement in rates of plots, lack of facilities.