Punjab Housing Dept exempts 7K villages from licensing provision of PAPRA

Chandigarh, December 28

In a relief to landowners, the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department has exempted the revenue estate of over 7,000 villages in the state from seeking licence under Section 20 (3) of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA), 1995.

“Barring Mohali district, villages in 22 other districts have been exempted from the Act. Landowners in villages were facing hardships in the registration of land. The exempted land in rural areas does not have any link with illegal colonies,” said a senior functionary of the government.

Hoshiarpur dist biggest beneficiary

• Among the exempted villages, the maximum 902 are in Hoshiarpur district followed by Patiala (507) and Gurdaspur (479)
• Amritsar has 385 villages, followed by Jalandhar with 359 villages and Ludhiana 346 villages. Barnala has the lowest 66 villages

A notification in this regard has been issued by the Principal Secretary of the department. Section 20(3) of the Act states that no registrar or sub-registrar shall register a sale deed or any other document regarding the sale of land or plot or building situated in a colony in respect of which a licence has not been obtained.

Earlier, the Revenue Department had made a no-objection certificate (NOC) by local body and the development authority concerned mandatory for the registration of property. Though the ban was aimed at checking illegal colonies, revenue land in rural areas was brought under the ambit of the Act.

“There is a natural expansion of villages due to population growth. Earlier, the government allowed the registration of property by accepting a self-declaration certificate by the property owners. Now, the notification has been issued to remove the anomaly,” said the official.