SETS UP COMMITTEE UNDER CS TO FORMULATE LEGISLATION ON REGULARIZATION OF COLONIES
ORDERS REFORMS TO EASE BUSINESS FOR BUILDERS & CITIZENS, TIME-BOUND MASTER PLANS FOR ALL CITIES
Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday initiated the process of allotting free
houses for the homeless poor, as promised in the Congress poll manifesto, while
directing
the setting up of a committee, headed by the
Chief Secretary, to formulate a legislation for regularization of illegal
colonies and transfer of ownership rights to the occupants.
The Chief Minister also
directed the Town Planning Department to complete work on preparing Master
Plans of all the cities in the state by the end of the current financial year.
The meeting further decided on a series of measures, including allotment of
project-based No Due Certificate (NDC) to promoters, in order to ease the Real Estate
business in the state. The NDC will now be valid for three months, to be taken
by the department on the date of application for a particular service rather
than as on date of delivery of service.
In another decision, the
Chief Minister put his stamp of approval on the reduction of transfer fee
levied by GMADA etc from 2.5% to 2% till March 31, 2018.
Chairing a review meeting
of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government of Punjab,
Captain Amarinder directed the concerned officials to ensure completion of the
master plans within the stipulated time-frame by outsourcing the necessary
planning work, if need be.
The meeting took several
key decisions to create an enabling environment for the growth of the Real
Estate sector, which has been suffering from a severe slowdown for the past
several years. The Chief Minister took note of the various suggestions
presented to him by officials of the Housing and Urban Development department
and issued instructions for immediate implementation of several of them,
according to an official spokesperson.
The suggestions presented
to the Chief Minister were based on intensive discussions with the various
stakeholders in the Real Estate sector, which was in an upbeat mood with the
change in government in Punjab, the spokesperson added.
The meeting was attended by
Finance Minister Manpreet Badal, Power Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, Chief
Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, Principal
Secretary Tejveer Singh and Housing & Urban Development Secretary Vini
Mahajan.
On the issue of
regularization of the illegal colonies, it was decided to set up a committee
under the Chief Secretary to formulate the necessary legislation for their
regularization and grant of ownership rights to the occupants. The committee
will have members from the Housing department, the Local Bodies department and
the Revenues Department, which would look into the issue of such colonies built
by private promoters, on MC land and on land outside MC limits,
respectively.
The Finance Minister
stressed the need to ensure implementation of master plans in all the cities of
Punjab, which currently has only 43 cities covered by master plans. The Chief
Minister ordered work on the master plans to be take up on priority, with all
master plans to be made available online.
A mobile app has also been
launched, with effect from today, to facilitate the online procurement of
property records by the allottees. The application would be extended later to
cover e-payment services, such as making payments towards the allotted sites,
payment user charges, viewing availability of sites with different authorities
etc.
The Chief Minister directed
the department to initiate the process of identification and scrutiny of beneficiaries
for free houses under the Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana, as promised in the
election manifesto. It was also decided to implement the poll promise of 30 per
cent reservation for SCs in all future allotments, besides subsidised loans to
families for buying/improving MIG housing. The meeting agreed to bring in a new
need-based policy for LIG housing.
Captain Amarinder directed
the department to come up with a detailed plan for the amalgamation of various
Real Estate authorities to ensure better service for the citizens. On the
suggestion for reduction of CLU, it was felt that all stakeholders should be
consulted before taking a final decision.
Taking note of the
grievances of owners of marriage palaces, the Chief Minister asked the
department to meet the stakeholders and take their views.
Among the other key
decisions taken at the meeting were single-window clearance for small investors
in five major cities, fixing of reasonable reserve prices for plots and sites,
review of policy to allow medium sized real estate housing project, inclusion
of EWS residential projects in industrial zones in all master plans and
moratorium on the payment of EDC due extended for the calendar year 2017.
It was also decided to
review the policy regarding compensation to the promoters on account of land
acquired for the purpose of construction of sector roads. The meeting also
agreed on de-hypothecation of sites pledged at the same rate at which they were
hypothecated till March 31, 2018.
Quick clearance of
CLU/Layout plans, fast-track acquisition of Revenue Rastas, early resolution of
issues relating to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, expediting
recruitment of staff, and collection of arrears of OUGVL and other properties
by Special Development Authorities were some of the other important decisions
taken at the meeting.
EDC received by development
authorities from a project will be utilised for providing basic services viz.
road connectivity, water and sewerage connection to that project on priority,
it was further decided.
The meeting also decided to
set up a Tourism-cum-Theme Destination Park around Thein Dam along Ranjit Sagar
Lake in PPP mode.
