PAC urges Guv to set aside Bill regularising illegal colonies in Punjab

The Public Action Committee has sent a letter to the Governor of Punjab with request to set aside the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was passed unanimously in Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Dr Amandeep Singh Bains said despite the PAPR Act, 1995, the mushrooming of illegal colonies continued in the state and despite introduction of criminal prosecution in previous amendments, the officials of Urban Local Bodies, PUDA and Revenue Departments continued to defy the law.

The government has introduced such regularisation policy for the fifth time in the name of one-time settlement due to which the prime motive of PAPR Act has already been defeated.

Er. Kapil Arora further added that the Punjab and Haryana High Court in one of its orders has observed that “we are surprised that the law is so helpless. The State, however, is not so weak that if somebody is doing an illegal act the same cannot be stopped. The power to regulate also includes power to stop the irregularity being committed.”

From the orders, it is clear that SDMs of respective districts and inspectors of ULBs were to be held responsible for mushrooming of illegal constructions and colonies in Punjab. However, the government, instead of taking action against the corrupt public servants, brought regularisation policies again and again. Such act has boosted the morale of real estate mafia and Punjab is become land of slum areas.

A large numbers of colonies have been regularised without the implementation of mandatory conditions like wide roads, rainwater harvesting, spaces for green belts etc., which has resulted in environmental damage.

Kuldeep Singh Khaira added that illegal colonies have resulted into major damage to the environment, increase in burden on existing infrastructure like sewerage, lowering groundwater level, poor solid waste management etc. Moreover, the mandatory conditions of regularisation policies have never been implemented and people are living in unhygienic conditions which may result into tragedies like Giaspura (Ludhiana) in which 11 people died due to leakage of toxic gas.

Register plots without NOC

• According to the Bill, any person who, up to July 31, 2024, has entered into a power of attorney, agreement to sell on stamp paper, or any other such document for an area up to 500 square yards in an unauthorised colony, will not require any no objection certificate (NOC) for registration of land
• If any person or promoter or his agent registered under this Act fails to comply with the relevant provision of the law, he/she shall be punished with imprisonment for a minimum term of five years which may extend to 10 years