Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister S. Hardeep Singh Mundian today said that during the year 2025, the department introduced an Amnesty Scheme providing a long awaited window to plot holders who were unable to deposit instalments, complete construction within the stipulated period or deposit Non Construction Fee.
The initiative was aimed at settling legacy issues and reinforcing public trust while maintaining planned urban growth. Highlighting a major citizen centric reform, the Cabinet Minister said that amendments to the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act enabled buyers in unauthorized colonies to get their plots registered without obtaining NOC.
Alongside this relief, stringent amendments were brought in to deter illegal development with enhanced punishment and fines for promoters indulging in unauthorized colonies. To promote investment friendly policies and reduce pressure on developers, the department allowed partial surrender of licences and industrial park projects.
Provisions for partial suspension and partial cancellation of licences were also notified, opening fresh avenues for development of industrial parks across the state, he added. Keeping public interest in focus, the Cabinet Minister said that extensions up to 31.12.2025 were granted for completion of Mega Projects and PAPRA licensed projects. Further relief was extended through a one time provision allowing a maximum extension of five years starting from 31.12.2025 for implementation of such projects. S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that the Building Rules 2025 have been approved and the notification has been issued.
Prepared after due consultation with the general public and stakeholders, these rules provide a strong push to the construction of buildings. He said that to bring speed and clarity in colony development, a Standard Operating Procedure for grant of licences was framed with a fixed timeline of 60 days, significantly cutting procedural delays and improving predictability for developers.
For effective utilisation of land reserved for Economically Weaker Sections, the department notified a policy to monetise EWS land pockets. The revenue generated will be utilised exclusively for construction and welfare of EWS housing.
Marking a significant stride towards industrial growth, the Cabinet Minister said that an Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Rajpura under the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor received Environmental Clearance from the Government of India Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, positioning Punjab firmly on the industrial growth map.
In alignment with the Punjab Electric Vehicle Policy 2022, amendments were carried out in Punjab Urban Planning and Development Building Rules making provision for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and stations in all categories of buildings, he added. To cater to housing needs of the workforce, amendments in the Rental Housing Policy permitted rental accommodation in standalone projects with a minimum area of 2.5 acres situated in Industrial and Mixed Use Zones of SAS Nagar and New Chandigarh, said the Cabinet Minister.
Ensuring faster and efficient approvals, regulatory powers related to CLU certificates, Completion Certificates and approval of layout and building plans were decentralised. Urban Development Authorities at Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala and Bathinda were empowered to grant approvals at their respective levels.
He said that with a view to accelerate industrial activity, powers for approval of Building Plans and grant of Completion Certificates of standalone industries outside municipal limits were delegated to the Director of Factories, ending the need for multiple departmental clearances. Providing relief to owners of standalone buildings outside municipal limits, urban estates and industrial focal points, a policy was notified for regularisation of constructions made without permission or with deviations at reasonable rates, said the Minister.
To bring transparency and ease in approvals, Online Building Plan Approval System for standalone industries was introduced. In addition, a Unified Single Window Portal was launched to process NoC applications of plots located in illegal colonies within and outside municipal limits. Strengthening water conservation efforts, a 15 MGD Sewage Treatment Plant with 5 MGD Ultra Filtration was dedicated to the people at Sector-83 SAS Nagar.
Set up at a cost of Rs.145.26 crore including eleven years of operation and maintenance, it stands as the largest Ultra Filtration Tertiary Treatment plant in the state enabling reuse of treated water for gardening, road washing, construction and industrial purposes. To directly address concerns of promoters and developers, the department introduced a dedicated email ID [email protected] to ensure timely, transparent and hassle free service delivery.
He said that mega camps were also organised this year by development authorities during the year to clear pending cases of individual allottees, promoters and developers.