Relax conditions for unauthorised colonies: Manu Sharma

Despite ban, construction in unauthorized colonies is still going on

 

Ferozepur, October 1, 2012:  Despite ban for construction in the unauthorised colonies carved out in Punjab, the construction work in these colonies in Ferozepur is still going on and no action has been taken by the concerned departments against any of the colonizer.

There are about two dozen such colonies in Ferozepur for which no approval has been obtained from PUDA by the colonizers and no facility of basic amenities like sewerage, water, roads, street lights etc. are provided by them. 

First getting a land registered and then carving out unauthorised colonies in Punjab, is common and colonizers are minting money by violating the norms of registration of land for a particular purpose.

To regularise and streamline the work of such colonies besides giving relief to the common man for investment in purchasing of plots, a meeting of Colonizer Association, Ferozepur, was held under the chairmanship of Manu Sharma, President, Anti-Crime and Social Organisation, Punjab, to appeal to the Punjab Government to give relaxation in the conditions for carving out colonies, to give relief to the investors and also to increase the government revenue.

He informed that the registration of plots in unauthorised colonies have been stopped by the government for the last two months resulting in loss of huge revenue to the government.  He further stated that it is very difficult for any colonizer to abide by the conditions laid down for approval of new colonies.  There is a need to give relaxation in conditions so that the colonizers carving out unauthorized colonies are ready to get those approved from PUDA.

Talking about the conditions he said, “Due to high cost of land, it is difficult for the colonizers to do a profitable business with the existing condition of leaving 45 per cent open space in the colony which should be reduced to 30 per cent”.

He further stated, there are 30 per cent people lives in the rented houses in Punjab and cannot buy the plots at the existing higher rates and in case the present trend continues, there would be 70 per cent tenants.

The hard earned money of common man is invested in landed property and with the ban on registration by the revenue department, the entire amounts are held up and its circulation could only be possible in case unauthorised colonies in the Punjab are given approval without any condition, he added.

He further quoted the example of distribution of free plots in the villages but no hard conditions are put nor the rules of law are followed but when colonizers after purchasing the land carve out colonies, number of conditions are levied by the PUDA.

It is pertinent to mention here that during the months of June and July,2012, eight colonizers were booked for carving out unauthorised colonies in Ferozepur,at Ali Ke Road, Nawan Purba via Satiawala and Aggar Nagar Satiawala and Guru Nanak Nagar,  under Punjab Apartment and Property and Regulation Act 1995 (PAPPRA) without getting any permission from the Municipal Council and certain colonizers were also booked on the written complaint of Executive Officer, Municipal Council alleging for non-deposit of water, sewerage and basic track charges with the municipal council.

Sources in the real estate sector reveals that carving out a residential colony without obtaining licence under the provisions of PAPRA and fulfilling other statutory conditions is such a lucrative business that the colonizers will go to any length to keep the regulatory body till the time the plots are sold and the developer can get away with the booty.

 In fact, the deals are struck even before the development of a colony is taken in hand by the unscrupulous colonizers, and whatever regulatory measures are taken, is just eyewash. But, such a large number of unauthorised colonies in the city could not have come up without the connivance of staff and officials of the municipal council and revenue department. The state government ought to order a high-level probe into this serious irregularity and guilty officials be identified and brought to book. 

According to president municipal council, a committee is being constituted by the district administration to survey the city and submit its report for further action.