Shafaqna India: On Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann introduced the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, which aims to eliminate the requirement for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for registering properties in illegal colonies.
The bill was presented on the second day of the three-day assembly session.
Chief Minister Mann stated that individuals who purchased plots before July 31 or those who have made initial payments and can demonstrate the legality of their transactions would benefit from the amended Act.
“All transactions involving these plots will be deemed legal, and such plot holders will be entitled to civic amenities,” Mann added.
With around 14,000 illegal colonies in Punjab, thousands of plot holders are expected to gain from this amendment.
Previously, the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government had enacted the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2018, which required sale agreements for these colonies or individual plots to be completed before March 19, 2018. The new amendment extends this deadline to July 31, 2024.
Under the previous SAD-BJP government, the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2013, along with subsequent amendments in 2014 and 2016, aimed to address violations in illegal colonies and individual plots.
Despite multiple meetings among officials from the Housing and Urban Development, Local Bodies, and Revenue Departments, plot holders continued to face difficulties in obtaining NOCs.
The department had issued directives to curb the proliferation of illegal colonies in Punjab.