Govt stalls registration of plots without NOC

The Punjab Government has stalled the registration of properties located in unauthorised colonies without obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from civic bodies and the Housing Department.

The decision came as the Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently made the NOC mandatory.

Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian did not respond to phone calls for a comment despite repeated attempts.

Earlier, the Housing Department had allowed the registration of plots measuring up to 500 sq yards in unauthorised colonies without the NOC.

To make it happen, the government had amended the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995, by inserting Sub-Section (5) in its Section 20.

Beginning from December1, 2024, the exemption was granted for the period till August 2025.

A Division Bench of the High Court, while acting on a public interest litigation filed by Ludhiana resident Prem Prakash, had directed the state to ensure compliance with Section 20 (3) of the Act.

A senior government functionary said the government had sought time to reply in the case.

However, the state government enacted the amended Act by saying that in case there was any agreement or power of attorney or similar document executed between the parties till July 31, 2024, the sale deed shall be registered even when the said plot is situated in an unauthorised colony.

Gurvinder Singh Lamba, president of the Punjab Colonisers and Property Dealer Association, said the government had to address concerns of hundreds of property owners who got their sale deeds registered during the waiver period.

“The government needs to clarify regarding the non-requirement of NOCs for the plots bought before the amended Act came into being. The government needs to clarify on the plots that fall in areas included in municipal limits, he said.