Punjab Local Govt department's move to reduce road width invites flak

Rajmeet Singh

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Chandigarh, October 24

A proposed move by Punjab’s Local Government Department to reduce road width for commercial areas has not found favour with residents in different civic bodies across the state.

The proposal

• 40-ft-wide road for commercial plots of up to 250 sq yds
• 50-ft-wide road for plots between 250 and 500 sq yds
• 60-ft-wide road for plots between 500 and 5,000 sq yds

The department in its draft Punjab Municipal Building Bylaws has proposed 40-foot-wide road for commercial plots of up to 250 sq yds, 50-foot-wide road for commercial plots between 250 sq yds and 500 sq yds and 60-foot-wide road for plots between 500 sq yds and 5,000 sq yds. The department has sought public comments on the draft amendments in the bylaws.

Not in conformity with municipal bylaws

The deviations do not even conform to municipal bylaws concerning road width. Such irregularities necessitate a thorough review, particularly with regard to alleged potential collusion between builders, politicians and certain government officials. patiala industries association

Raising objections, residents of Sangrur, Patiala and other civic bodies have pointed out that in the unified zoning regulations of 2018, a minimum road of 60 feet had been stipulated for commercial activities. The rationale was to manage inevitable surge in vehicular traffic associated with commercial zones.

“By reducing the road width to 40 feet, the effective road width comes to 33 per cent. This is in contravention of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, and the amendments should not supersede the legally notified master plans by the Housing Department”, the residents have pointed out in a joint representation sent to the Principal Secretary, Local Government.

Similarly, the Patiala Industries Association has raised concerns over conversion of residential zone to commercial zone on Passey Road in Patiala. “The deviations do not even conform to municipal bylaws concerning road width. Such irregularities necessitate a thorough review, particularly with regard to alleged potential collusion between builders, politicians and certain government officials,” the association has said in a letter written to the Principal Secretary, Local Government.

Besides, to regulate construction of independent floors, stilted residential floors on plotted development, a draft of the amendments has already been sent to all civic bodies for feedback. The amendments include minimum width of the approach and internal roads, minimum plot area, minimum frontage, maximum ground coverage, maximum floor area ration (FAR) and setbacks around building.

It will be mandatory to have stilt parking and no structure other than stair or lift will be permitted. The department has also made it clear that no fragmentation of a plot will be allowed and all independent floor owners will jointly own the plot and the builder or seller of independent floor will have to register as builder promoter with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).