The Punjab government today exempted holders of all plots and colonies developed before 1995 from getting themselves regularized under the regularization of illegal colonies scheme even as it extended the last date for regularizing plots and colonies under the scheme to October 25.A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting here which was presided over by Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and attended by Finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, Industry minister Madan Mohan Mittal, Revenue and Public Relations minister Bikram Singh Majithia, PWD minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Local Bodies minister Anil Joshi besides chief parliamentary secretaries Som Prakash and K D Bhandari.
It was decided after due consultation that the first registered sale deed of the plot would be the basis for charges to be levied under the new policy. It was decided that anyone who has paid extra charges under the new policy as per the last registry could be eligible for adjustment.It was also clarified that in case of colonies the year of sale of 50 per cent area of the colony or 50 per cent number of plots sold would be the basis for establishing the year of the colony. Regularization charges would be charged on this criterion.It has also been decided that after October 25 plot holders and colonizers can still get their plots/houses regularized but will have to pay a compounding fee. This scheme will be open only till November 5. Plot holders will have to pay a compounding fee of 20 per cent and colonizers of 50 per cent.Meanwhile the Deputy chief minister was briefed at the meeting that more than one lakh applications had been received under the scheme. Approximately 40 per cent of identified plot holders and 30 per cent of colonizers have applied for regularization of plots/colonies under the scheme. The government has received more than Rs 125 crore as regularization fee as of now.
Sukhbir Badal meanwhile ordered officers to accept acceptance of forms both manually and online. This is being done to facilitate people to approach the authorities as they wish. Applicants are now also being given the facility to deposit online also.The Deputy CM also directed that all plot holders in the below poverty line (BPL) category could get their plots regularized free of cost up to 100 square yards.A detailed survey of illegal colonies in the State earlier had revealed that there were 5340 illegal colonies which had come up on 20,600 acres of land. Beside this it was revealed that a number of scattered buildings of all categories had come up without approval in various parts of the State. In order to bring all these unplanned areas into the fold of planned development and to provide basic amenities and a better quality of life to the public it was decided to formulate a policy under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2013 to compound these offences.