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Ravneet Singh
Tribune News Service
Patiala, February 21
The regularisation policy for compounding illegal colonies, plots and buildings has failed to attract colonisers in the areas under the Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Patiala Urban Planning and Development Authority (PDA) despite lenient laws enacted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to bring them into the fold of planned development.
Now, the regulating authorities have begun identifying colonies for compounding after the end of the four-month window period.
The PDA and the MC had prepared lists of 750 and 31 illegal colonies in their jurisdiction, respectively, before the imposition of the policy in October last year.
Both the authorities received only negligible number of applications for regularisation of colonies till February 17. The PDA received 19 applications while the MC received only 11. Now, colonisers will be charged 20 per cent extra of the composition fee when their colonies are identified by the authorities concerned.
Colonisers have failed to apply for regularisation despite the state government enacting lenient laws for compounding of illegal colonies after the policy notified in April last year generated poor response.
The date of establishment of a colony is decided as per date of the first registration of plot. An applicant can attach documents including sale agreement on stamp paper, power of attorney and other papers to prove sale of plots with the application for regularisation of the colony.
Of these, the agreement to sell –an unregistered document – can be misused as it is available in back date in the market. A coloniser, who has constructed non-concrete roads or boundary walls of a colony, can also apply for regularisation. Besides, the minimum requirement of open space, including roads and parks has also been kept low.
The government has allowed separate regularisation of colonies and plots too, which is a major reason behind most colonisers not applying for the same.
A coloniser, who has submitted an application for regularisation of his colony said, “Most colonisers have not submitted applications for regularisation as the policy allows separate regularisaiton of plots. This way their plots are sold easily and they are not facing backlash from the buyers. The colony will also not be debarred later if a coloniser fails to apply.”
“Moreover, colonisers are expecting a new policy, which will allow regularisation of colonies developed after the present cut-off date,” he added.
Gurpreet Singh Khaira, Municipal Commissioner said, “We will first decide applications for regularisation of colonies submitted by colonisers. Then we will start identifying illegal colonies and take action accordingly.”
We have started identifying colonies and contacting their owners. They will be charged 20 per cent extra fee when they apply for regularisation.— Anupreeta Johal, Estate Officer, PDA
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