Policy for regularising illegal colonies in Punjab approved

Ruchika M. Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 17

Amid arguments between the Group of Ministers in Punjab, the policy for regularising illegal colonies was approved on Tuesday.

The draft policy was presented before the Group of Ministers by Housing Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa during a meeting held here today.

Sources say that the opposition to certain points in the draft policy was led by Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Some of the ministers are learnt to have objected to the concessions being given to the colonisers.

The relaxations being given in terms of total saleable area allowed, the width of roads, doing away with provisions of parks and open spaces etc, were debated.

Other than determining the rate for linking the sewerage of these illegal colonies with the sewerage system of the concerned urban local body, all other provisions proposed in the draft policy by Housing Department was ultimately approved.

The Housing Department had proposed Rs 3 lakh per acre as charged, though Local Bodies department argued it wanted to charge Rs 11 lakh per acre.