PDA, MC to regularise illegal colonies soon

Tribune News Service
Patiala, October 19

The Patiala Urban Planning and Development Authority (PDA) and Municipal Corporation (MC) will now begin the regularisation of illegal colonies after the Punjab Cabinet has notified a new policy in this regard.

While the new policy will affect 8,000-odd identified illegal colonies developed before March 19 in the state, residents and colonisers of 157 illegal colonies under the PDA and 31 under the MC will get a new lease of life. The policy offers four months for promoters, resident welfare associations and co-operative societies to get their colonies regularised as per the master plan issued by the department concerned. The regularisation of such colonies would not be allowed after four months, said officials.

Patiala Municipal Corporation had earlier identified 31 illegal colonies under its ambit, including 20 colonies registered for regularisation by colonizers, but have failed to provide complete documents and submit the required fee. According to the MC, another 10 illegal colonies have come up without required permissions from the local body which lacks information regarding the builders altogether. The MC had regularised one colony in July after the coloniser paid required registration amount of Rs 37 lakh.

The local bodies will collect ownership documents, registered sale deeds, fard jamabandi, location plan, and site plan for regularisation.

Officials said: “Earlier, the government had stopped the registration of individual houses in colonies which were not regularised. Now the government has given a go ahead to them also.”

The new policy also states that no connection of water, sewerage, electricity will be given in colonies which will not be regularised, while the authorities can demolish unapproved buildings falling under such colonies after regularisation.

Various illegal colonies which are registered for regularisation under the MC, but have not deposited proper documents include Nimkh Enclave on Sirhind road, Udyog Vihar on Bypass road, Silver City in factory area and Green View Colony near Ranjeet Nagar.