In a significant step aimed at providing basic civic amenities to majority of residents of unauthorized colonies, the Punjab Cabinet today okayed the Policy for Compounding/ Regularization of Unauthorized Colonies/ Buildings under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act-2013.A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the Cabinet held under the Chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal here at Punjab Bhawan this morning.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that this would be a big relief to about 5000 colonies and 2 lakh inpiduals plot holders/ building owners' across the state.The policy focuses on bringing all the unauthorized colonies/ buildings into the planning framework and to regularize the development, which would further facilitate the smooth implementation of the master plans across the state to ensure the entire urban development in a holistic manner. Apart from this, another aim of the policy was to provide the basic civic amenities to the residents of these areas and improve the circulation pattern of the streets/ roads thereby checking the trend of haphazard growth. The said policy would stipulate provisions to compound offences made under the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995, the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995, the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976, the Punjab Town Improvement Act 1922 and the Punjab Municipal Act 1911.
The policy would be applicable for a period of one year i.e. from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 in the entire state. Only those unapproved colonies or the buildings constructed before the April 1, 2013 would be considered under this policy. This would be one time opportunity given by the Government to the colonizers and plot holders to get their offence compounded and regularized and to improve the amenities in these areas. This entire process would be completed by March 31, 2014. After the scrutiny of applications the Colonizers/ plot owners would be issued regularization certificates. But any colony constructed over the land belonging to state/ Central government/ public undertakings/ Panchayat lands/ Waqf Board/ Land under Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA) and others would not be covered under this policy.
Under this policy the plot owners were required to submit applications to the Chief Administrator of the concerned authority for outside the Municipal limits areas and to the Commissioner/ Regional Deputy Director of Local Government for areas within the Municipal limits within 60 days from the date of the notification of this policy.
The colonizers were required to pay composition fee for compounding their offences, under this policy. The fee would vary from area to area for the colonies developed before and after August 2007. The approximate rates of composition fee vary from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per acre. Similarly the inpidual plot/ building owners could come forward for regularization of their plots/ buildings by paying regularization charges which vary from Rs 50 per to Rs 500 per square yard. The money so collected would be used for providing basic amenities in these colonies.
If any colonizer does not apply within 60 days then legal proceedings through registration of FIR would be initiated. Similarly for these colonies if the inpidual plot/ building owners do not apply under this scheme then the registration of their plots would be ceased and Power, Water Supply, Sewerage connections would be disconnected. 25% of the composition fee and regularisation charges were required to be deposited with the application and remaining 25% in three equal six monthly instalments. 10% discount would be given to those applicants who deposited the fee and charges lump sump.
The Cabinet also gave green signal to amend the Punjab Municipal Act 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976, in accordance with the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub Committee regarding the imposition of Property tax in the state besides securing Revenue for the urban local bodies. Accruing a major relief to the residents, the Cabinet also approved to do away with the Zone Wise Unit Value Based Property Tax. The Cabinet not only decided to revert back to the old Annual Value System but also has given a slew of major concessions in that.
From the earlier house tax of 15% of the Annual Rental Value for the Commercial Rented Property, the rates have been drastically reduced to 10% and for Rental Residential Property Tax rates have been brought down from earlier 10% to 7.5% annually .
Similarly, for non- rented Commercial Property the rates have been reduced from earlier 15% to 3% of the Annual Value. For self occupied houses upto 50 Sq. Yards a consolidated Rs. 50 per year would be charged and for houses between 50 to 100 Sq. Yards the annual consolidated tax of Rs.150/- would be charged.
For self occupied house having area between 100 to 500 square yards, the property tax @ 0.5% of the Annual Value and for Self Occupied Residential above 500 square yards, a tax @ 1% of the Annual Value would be charged. For vacant plots and un-utilized buildings and plots the Property tax would be @ 0.20% of the Annual Value.
Besides, all religious institutions, Gau Shallas, Care Centre for Stray Animals and Charitable Institutions besides Freedom Fighters and people living below the poverty line have been totally exempted from property tax.
Still more, widows and the differently abled persons have been given a rebate upto Rs.5000/- from Property Tax. Meaning thereby that if a widow/differentally abled person was to pay Rs.6000/- as Property Tax, she/he would be liable to pay only Rs.1000/- after rebate of Rs.5000/-. To promote education in the state, all educational Institutions which were not even covered under Charitable Institutions have now been provided 50% rebate on the Property Tax .
In order to give further impetus to the all-round and inclusive development of the state, the Cabinet also gave nod to the amendment in the Land Pooling Policy to enable the land owners to become partners in development process. Under this amendment a fixed sum of the value of land would be ensured to the land owners.
In yet another path breaking decision, the Council of Ministers gave go-ahead to the Punjab Compulsory Registration Marriage Rules 2013 for registering the marriages of the residents of Punjab. All marriages were required to be now compulsorily registered under these rules within 90 days of the solemnization of the marriages.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of posts for the new session pisions at Pathankot and Barnala along with the requisite staff to ensure speedy dispensation of justice to the residents of these districts.
The Cabinet also decided to amend the Punjab Minister’s Travelling Allowance Rules 1953 and the Chief Parliamentary Secretary/ Parliamentary Secretary Travelling Allowance Rules 2006 to enhance the mileage from Rs 12 to Rs 15 per kilometer on the usage of their private vehicles in lieu of official cars.The Cabinet also gave approval for amending the Punjab Mechanical Vehicles (Bridges and Roads Tolls) Act 1998 to rationalize the levy and collection of toll.To avoid mis-utilization of the Punjab Good Conduct Prisoner’s (Temporary Release), Rules 1963 the Cabinet has decided to amend Sub Rule (3) of Rule 3 in the Act by enhancing the amount of surety bond from Rs 20000 to minimum Rs 50000 and maximum of Rs 2 lakh.