Chandigarh, Sep 3 (IANS): The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, paving the way for getting properties spanning up to 500 yards registered in the illegal colonies without an NOC.

The Bill was tabled by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who said all those who have either purchased plots before July 31, or those who have paid the initial money and can prove that the sale is legal, would benefit from the move.

“All such transactions of plots will be considered as legal transactions, and all civic amenities will be provided to such plot holders,” Mann informed the House.

There are nearly 14,000 illegal colonies in Punjab and thousands of plot holders in such colonies will now stand to benefit.

“Giving a big relief to crores of people, the condition of NOC at the time of registration of plots has been abolished... Along with this, the penalty and punishment against mafias developing illegal colonies has been made more stringent,” the Chief Minister said.

“People build houses with their lifelong earnings but some people steal the hard earned money of the poor, which will not be tolerated anymore... We do what we say,” the Chief Minister said.

Officials said after the implementation of the Bill, people will be able to register a plot of 500 yards without requiring any NOC.

“There are around 14,000 illegal colonies in Punjab, in which there are lakhs of individual plots. The regularisation policy that we have brought is not for colonies, but individual plot holders. This will benefit lakhs of people. Its provisions state that if someone has brought plot from a coloniser before July 31, 2024, and has transferred advance payment, they can get their registry done without NOC till November 2,” Housing and Urban Development Minister Aman Arora told mediapersons after the passing of the Bill.

The previous Congress government led by Amarinder Singh had brought the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2018, which specified that the sale agreements of such colonies or individual plots must have been executed before March 19, 2018.

The new amendment will extend the cut-off date to July 31, 2024.

Explaining the rationale behind the Bill, the Chief Minister said the amendment “aims to ensure stringent control over the illegal colonies, besides giving relief to the small plot holders”.

He said this is a major reprieve for the common man as this amendment aims to overcome the problem being faced by the public in registration of their plots and to put a check on development of unauthorised colonies.

Mann said this amendment also stipulates provisions of penalty and punishment for the offenders, adding that “it is a historic decision aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of the common man”.

The Chief Minister said as per the amendment, any person who up to July 31, 2024, for an area up to 500 square yards situated in an unauthorised colony, entered into a power of attorney/agreement to sell on stamp paper, or any other such document, will not require any no-objection certificate for the registration of land.

Mann said such property owners would be entitled to get registration of such an area executed before a Registrar or Sub-registrar or Joint Sub-registrar and this exemption of getting such an area registered shall be available up to such date as may be notified by the government on this behalf.

He also said the intimation of each such document of sale shall be given by the Registrar or Sub-registrar or Joint Sub-registrar to the development authority concerned provided that he/she shall register subsequent sale deeds in respect of such property, if it has not been divided, even after the date of exemption.

The Chief Minister said any person or promoter or his agent registered under this Act, and any other promoter, who, without reasonable cause, fails to comply with or contravenes the provisions of Section 5 shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a minimum term of five years which may extend to 10 years and with a minimum fine of Rs 25 lakh, which may extend to Rs 5 crore.

The illegal colonisers dupe the people by showing them green pastures and sell their unapproved colonies to them, which lack basic civic amenities in the form of streetlights, sewerage, and others, he said.

The hapless people have to then run from pillar to post for getting the basic civic amenities in these colonies, he added.