Revised policy on illegal colony regularisation soon: Minister

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 15

The Punjab Government has decided to regularise all illegal colonies that have been developed before March 19, 2018. Once regularised, the residents of these colonies would get all basic amenities, such as potable water, sewerage, electricity and other facilities.

This was announced by Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa at a meeting of developers and property dealers from across the state, here on Sunday. Bajwa held detailed discussions with the stake holders about the new policy for regularisation of illegal colonies to be announced very soon. The revised policy would replace the earlier policy introduced by the government which was rejected by the developers.

Bajwa said the policy had been prepared keeping in mind the interests of the residents living in the unauthorised colonies as well as those of the developers. He said the revised policy would take care of the interests of all stake holders. He said the state government intended to provide an opportunity to the developers as well as residents of unlicensed/illegal colonies who had failed to apply for getting their colonies, plots or other properties regularised.

“The salient features of this policy are that the unauthorised colonies developed before March 19, 2018, shall be regularised, composition fee or other charges paid earlier under the previous policies shall be adjusted. Further, funds received from the regularisation of the particular colony shall be used for providing basic infrastructure to that particular colony only,” he said. According to Bajwa, there were around 12,500 unauthorised colonies in the state that had been categorised into four categories depending on percentage of plots sold. He warned that stringent action will be taken against the developer of a colony, which comes into being after March 19, 2018, and the developer has not applied for regularisation.

Kultar Singh Jogi and Gurvinder Singh Lamba, president and secretary of the Punjab Colonisers and Property Dealers Association respectively welcomed the policy being brought by the state government and assured that no developer would develop an unauthorised colony in future. Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and MP Ravneet Singh Bittu assured that once the colonies were regularised, residents would get all basic amenities.

Salient features of new policy 

• Unauthorised colonies developed before March 19, 2018, shall be regularised
• Composition fee or other charges paid earlier under the previous policies shall be adjusted
• Funds received from the regularisation of the particular colony shall be used for providing basic infrastructure to that particular colony only 

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