Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered strict action against any further attempts at illegal colonisation, while directing the concerned departments to ensure that genuine buyers of plots in legal colonies are not subjected to any harassment.
The directives, aimed at streamlining urban development and eliminating illegal construction, have been issued by the Chief Minister to the local Government as well as the Department of Housing and Urban Department.
Amarinder has also instructed the Chief Administrators of the Development Authorities to send updated lists of illegal colonies in their respective jurisdiction as well as within the municipal limits to the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
All steps should be taken to ensure that there is no harassment to the genuine buyers of plots in legal colonies, while at the same time checking any registration in the illegal colonies in the state, the Chief Minister has directed.
Noting that while registration in illegal colonies had been stopped in terms of the provisions of the PAPRA Act, the Chief Minister stressed that, at the same time, the interests of plot holders and those desirous of buying plots other than in such illegal colonies should also be protected.
Any registry of plot in a colony, other than in the identified list, would be deemed to have the necessary NOC, said Amarinder. However, as far as illegal colonies were concerned, no such development should be allowed in the state and stringent action should be taken against those found guilty in terms of the provisions of the PAPRA Act, the Chief Minister has ordered the departments.
Spokesperson said Amarinder has requested his colleagues in the Cabinet Sub-Committee examining the draft policy on this subject to deliberate and give their recommendations to the Council of Ministers in its meeting to be held in March. The Cabinet Sub-Committee has already held two meetings on this issue. The draft Policy has been placed on the websites of the Housing and Urban Development and local Government Departments for comments from the public, with a deadline of 3 pm on March 1, 2018.
There are at present 7,301 illegal colonies in the State as per the latest survey. Of these, 2,906 are within municipal limits and 4,395 are outside municipal limits.