CHANDIGARH: To curb the mushrooming of unplanned and haphazard constructions across the state, the Punjab Cabinet approved a draft ordinance to regularise all unauthorised constructions, which had come up till March 31.
According to an official spokesperson, the Punjab one-time voluntary disclosure and settlement of violations of the Building Ordinance-2018′ was aimed at regularising constructions in larger public interest, subject to the condition that these buildings fulfill the prescribed fire, parking and safety standards.
The Cabinet felt that since these unauthorised constructions had been coming up for the past several years, it was not feasible to demolish them at this stage, leaving regularisation as the only possible recourse, the spokesperson said after the Cabinet meeting which was chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
The spokesperson said under the scheme, a person guilty of a non-compoundable building violation may disclose it voluntarily and apply online, along with photographs of the building, within one month to the competent authority.
The applicant would be then required to submit, within two months, the requisite information, documents, plans and the prescribed application fee.
If the owners of unauthorised buildings do not apply for settlement of violations or the applicant fails to make structural changes to fulfill the requirements of mandatory changes within the prescribed time period, water supply, sewerage connections to the whole building will be disconnected without any further notice followed by sealing and demolition of the building at the cost of the owner.
In another decision, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Local Government Department for amending the validity of Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Fund (PMIDF) Act-2011, to extend it from the current deadline of 2020-21 to 2037-38.
The same was required for re-payment of the Rs 1540 crore HUDCO loan before the last date of August 31, 2037. This step would help the state in uplifting the living standard of the urban population, including the urban poor, besides facilitating urban infrastructure projects, the spokesperson said.
The Cabinet also authorised the Chief Minister to approve the draft Ordinance in this regard, as prepared and vetted by the Legal Remembrancer before it is promulgated by the Governor.
Source: Press Trust of India