Hike in building plan approval fee draws flak
Tribune News Service
Zirakpur, June 11
As per the orders of the Department of Local Government, Punjab, the Zirakpur Municipal Council (MC) has implemented the annual 15 per cent hike in building plan approval charges for residential and commercial complexes with effect from April 1.
For residential buildings, the charges have been hiked from Rs674 to Rs775 per square yard. For commercial buildings, the charges have increased from Rs3,274 to Rs3,766 per square yard.
The Municipal Council SDO, Inder Mohan Singh, said, “It is an annual hike and has been implemented all over the state. No new charges have been imposed.”
Meanwhile, the annual hike in charges has not gone down well with residents here, who are expecting relief from the government in the prevailing circumstances.
The Zirakpur Property Dealers Association president, Gulshan Arora, said, “The charges should not have been increased this year. People are suffering due to the lockdown. It will be an additional burden on the salaried class and businessmen. We will give a representation to the MC in this regard soon.”
As per the government instructions, development charges for compounding of an unauthorised residential plot outside the municipal limit are 0.5 per cent of the current collector rate for up to 50 square yard. For unauthorised commercial plot, the charges are 9 per cent of the current collector rate.
