Ministers’ group okays Rs 143-cr interest waiver for colonisers

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

Under the upcoming policy for regularising illegal colonies, the Group of Ministers (GoM) today decided to waive Rs 143 crore interest on the pending dues of colonisers.

The decision taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has paved the way for the government to table the draft policy of the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colony) Bill, 2018, during the next Cabinet meeting scheduled for September 27.

A senior government functionary said though the draft policy was approved at the July 31 Cabinet meeting, its notification was stuck up after the Finance Department objected to waive Rs 143 crore dues in the absence of GoM approval to waive interest at the rate of 8 per cent on the pending dues of the colonisers.

The government will withdraw FIRs against colonisers whose applications are appending under the previous policy, provided they pay the full charges imposed to regularise the illegal colonies.

Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said the draft policy would be put up in the next Cabinet meeting before notifying the policy. Near 7,000 applications were received by the Housing and Local Bodies Departments, of which 1,300 were regularised and the remaining were rejected on account of technical inconsistencies or non-payment of dues.

Though the cutoff date to consider the illegal colonies will be April 19, the already submitted as well as fresh applications will also be considered once the policy is notified. Sources in the department said the government was likely to notify the policy a day after the Cabinet gives its nod.

What the policy says 

• As per the provisions of the draft policy, those failing to apply will have to pay an additional 20 per cent cost for regularisation. 
• The registration of the sale deed within three months by the plot holder and registration of 50 per cent of the plots within a year of applying are among the provisions of the new draft policy.