Permission Required from Neighbors in Old Colonies and Sectors

Dalal said that in colonies and sectors where the layout plan is approved with three dwelling units per plot, S+4 construction will be allowed with certain conditions for residential plots that derive access from a 10 meters or wider road. In such colonies, if a person wishes to construct S+4, submission of a mutual consent agreement with all adjoining plot owners is required except those who have already obtained S+4 approval or side setback of 1.8 meters (On all floors) being maintained from adjoining plots. However, the government has made a provision that if adjoining plot owners do not consent to S+4 construction, they themselves will be ineligible for S+4 construction in the future.

No Permission for Basement Construction on Plots Less Than 10 Meters Wide and 250 Square Meters in Area

The minister clarified that if a plot already has permission for three floors and a basement and now S+4 construction is permitted, basement construction and loading on the common wall will not be allowed. However, in such cases, basement construction and loading on the common wall will be allowed with the mutual consent of the neighboring plot owners. Furthermore, if the entire row of residential plots is constructed at once for building plan approval and construction, permission for constructing the common wall will be granted. In no case will basement construction be allowed on plots less than 10 meters in width and 250 sqm in area. He stated that plot owners who meet the conditions of 1.8 meters side setback or neighbor's consent can either construct S+4 or request a refund of the purchasable development rights (PDR).  If a plot owner does not wish to construct S+4 and opts for a lower PDR benefit, they are eligible for a refund with 8% interest from the date of the refund application. This refund application can be made within 60 days from the date of the refund order issuance. Similarly, if the plot is not eligible for 3 or 4-floor construction, the allottee is eligible to get back the entire auction amount with 8% interest from the date of the refund request. This application must also be made within 60 days from the refund order issuance.

Funds Collected for S+4 Approvals to Be Used for Infrastructure Enhancement

Dalal said that an amount of Rs. 1178.95 crore has been collected in lieu of S+4 approvals by various agencies, including Rs. 689.8 crore by the Town and Country Planning Department, Rs. 466.3 crore by HSVP, Rs. 2.62 crore by HSIIDC, and Rs. 20.23 crore by the Urban Local Bodies Department. This amount will be utilized for enhancing the infrastructure in all sectors/colonies.  He stated that the department will establish a portal to address issues related to S+4 matters and to make various information public, including permissions related to S+4 floors from time to time. He mentioned that to eliminate the practice of covering the stilt area, in the future, when approving building plans or granting occupation certificates, a condition will be imposed that if the stilt area is fully or partially covered, the building plan approval or occupancy certificate will be deemed withdrawn.

The minister said that a standard operating procedure has been prepared for all cases where S+4 construction has been carried out without building plan approval to date. According to these, individuals who have undertaken such unauthorized construction can apply for composition of offenses to the competent authority. In cases where no objection was recorded by the neighbouring plot owners at the time of construction, the permission will be granted within 90 days of receiving the composition of offense application by recovering the composition fee.

However, where objections were recorded by neighboring plot owners at the time of construction, an additional opportunity will be given to present a mutual agreement/consent. If the applicant is unable to obtain the consent of the complainant, the case will be decided by passing a speaking order. Such composition of offenses can be permitted by charging a fee ten times higher than the prescribed rate for 'construction without building plan approval and in accordance with the provisions of the Haryana Building Code.'

Hry Minister flags off ‘Special Publicity Van' in Hisar

Chandigarh: To spread information related to Government's welfare policies to the people of the State, Haryana, Health, Medical Education and Research, AYUSH, and Civil Aviation Minister Kamal Gupta on Tuesday said that a Special publicity campaign has been organised by the Department of Information, Public Relations, Languages, and Culture. This campaign will continue until July 31. Gupta said that the publicity programme will widely promote the facilities, services, and schemes provided by the Haryana government from time to time, along with other public welfare achievements. He said that under the leadership of Director General, Information, Public Relations, Language and Culture Department Mandip Singh Brar, the month-long special publicity campaign will cover both urban and rural areas of Hisar district. The campaign will use Haryanvi folk style to inform the public about the government's welfare schemes and achievements. Each day, a Bhajan party will effectively conduct an awareness programme in a different village.

Hry Sahitya Evam Sanskriti Akademi declares literary awards for Punjabi language

Chandigarh: The Haryana Sahitya Evam Sanskriti Akademi has approved the literary awards for Punjabi language for the years 2017 to 2022. A spokesperson for the Akademi shared this information, stating that for the year 2017, the following individuals have been selected for awards: Dr G.D. Chaudhary from Sirsa for the Haryana Punjabi Gaurav Award; Dr Surjit Kunjahi from Faridabad for the Mahakavi Bhai Santokh Singh Award; Gurdarpal Singh from Naniola for the Baba Sheikh Farid Award; Satnam Singh from Shahabad for the Punjabi Journalism Award; and Jaswinder Singh Bhindar from Sirsa for the Ragi/Dhadi/Folk Singer Award. For the year 2018, the selected individuals are: Dr. Sahib Singh Arshi from Sirsa for the Haryana Punjabi Gaurav Award; Dr. Charanjit Kaur from Karnal for the Mahakavi Bhai Santokh Singh Award; Karnail Singh Aspal from Sirsa for the Sant Taran Singh Vehmi Award; Dr. Nishan Singh Rathore from Pipli for the Kavi Harbhajan Singh Renu Award; Prabhu Dayal from Sirsa for the Punjabi Journalism Award; and Sukhwinder Kaur Hundal from Sirsa for the Ragi/Dhadi/Folk Singer Award.

UT Admn starts survey to identify & address encroachment of Govt lands

Chandigarh: The UT Administration on Tuesday started a comprehensive survey to identify and address the encroachment of government lands by unauthorized occupants. Deputy Commissioner cum Estate Officer UT Chandigarh Vinay Pratap Singh, announced that the Administration is operating in mission mode, utilizing advanced technologies and satellite imagery in collaboration with Revenue authorities to pinpoint illegal encroachments year by year. The Estate Office is leveraging GIS technology to detect and track the progressive encroachment on government lands. Pratap Singh emphasized the critical importance of land in a planned city like Chandigarh, highlighting the detrimental effects of illegal occupation, including unplanned urban growth and significant financial losses due to high land prices. A robust stance is being taken against encroachers. Deputy commissioner cited the recent action against the Furniture Market, where approximately 10-12 acres of land, valued at over Rs 1500 Cr, had been encroached upon for the past 30 years. On the last Sunday, nearly 2 acres of this land, worth more than Rs 200 Cr, were reclaimed from illegal occupants.

Black Spots to be eliminated from Haryana: Minister

Chandigarh: Haryana Minister of State for Transport and Women & Child Development Aseem Goel on Tuesday announced that all black spots on national highways in Haryana will be eliminated to reduce the risk of accidents. He shared this information today after meeting Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi. The Transport Minister also met Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mansukh Mandaviya, to discuss the allocation of funds for a 100-bedded ESI hospital in Ambala city. Goel informed that he discussed the issue of black spots on national highways in the state with Gadkari. He highlighted that Sultanpur Chowk and Jadot Chowk in Ambala district have become critical zones for accidents, with frequent road mishaps leading to significant loss of lives. These locations have been identified as black spots, where the risk of accidents is particularly high. He emphasized the urgent need for constructing underpasses and elevated overbridges at these spots to ensure the safety of commuters and reduce the incidence of fatal accidents.


JJP to begin district worker meetings from July 5

Chandigarh: The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) is starting district-level worker meetings from this Friday, where party's national president Dr Ajay Singh Chautala, and former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala will engage in political discussions at the district level with the workers. In these programs, discussions will be held on organizational reconstruction and the upcoming assembly elections, and strategies will be formulated. Prior to this, Chautala had preliminary discussions with key workers and leaders from all districts last week, and district-level programs have been scheduled based on their feedback.

HPTDC offers 20-40 pc Monsoon discount on room rent in 41 hotels in Himachal

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) on Tuesday announced a 20-40 per cent discount on room rent in 41 hotel units in the state during the monsoon season from July 15 to September 13, officials said.
The decision was taken keeping in view low occupancy during the monsoon season, HPTDC Managing Director Rajiv Kumar said, adding that directions have been issued to make all-out efforts to market HPTDC hotels and ensure that maximum tourists avail the benefits. However, no discount would be given in Hotel Spiti (Kaza), Hotel Kinner Kailash (Kalpa), Sun and Snow cottage (Kalpa), Hotel Chanderbhaga (Keylong), Hotel Shivalik Parwanoo), Hotel Hamir (Hamirpur), Lake View (Bilaspur), Hotel Baghal (Darlaghat), Hotel Nurpur (Nurpur), Hotel Bushehar Regency (Rampur), Suket (Sundernagar) and Hotel Willy's Park (Shimla). No discount would be applicable from July 28 to August 4 during the Minjar fair in Hotel Iravati, Hotel Champak in Chamba and Hotel Gaurikund in Bharmour. Moreover, discounts would not be available in Hotel Gaurikund during the Manimahesh Yatra from August 17 to September 15. Last year, the monsoon disaster had wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh and about 550 persons died during the monsoon season.

Punjab extends last date for OTS for recovery of outstanding dues to Aug 16

Chandigarh:  Punjab Government on Tuesday announced to extended the last date for filing applications under the Punjab One Time Settlement (Amendment) Scheme for recovery of outstanding dues to August 16, 2024. Revealing this, the state Finance, Planning, Excise, and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the extension of the scheme’s deadline is aimed at reducing the compliance burden of legacy cases and enabling the trade and industry to enhance their compliance under the GST regime.  The Punjab One Time Settlement Scheme for Recovery of Outstanding Dues, 2023, implemented from November 15, 2023, offers a one-time opportunity for taxpayers to settle their outstanding dues. The scheme was initially valid till June 30, 2024. Taxpayers, whose assessments were framed till March 31, 2024, and all rectification, revision, or assessment after remand orders passed till March 31, 2024, under the relevant Acts with a total demand (tax, penalty, and interest as per the original assessment order) up to Rs one crore as of March 31, 2024, are eligible to apply for settlement under this scheme, said Cheema.  Key benefits of the scheme include complete waiver of tax, interest, and penalty in case of arrears up to Rs one lakh as of March 31, 2024, and waiver of 100 percent interest, 100 percent penalty, and 50 percent of the tax amount in cases with demands ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs one crore. Dealers can submit original statutory forms under CST Act, 1956, at the time of applying under OTS-2023, and waiver will be calculated accordingly.