As per the latest development, the Bhagwant Mann government of Punjab has decided to waive all fees for the one-time bifurcation of plots in illegal colonies that have been regularised under the illegal colonies regularisation programme and are less than 500 square metres. Notably, plot splitting is permitted up to 100 square metres, providing the first selling transaction was signed before August 9, 1995. 

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Subsequently, the decision came after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann approved the committee’s recommendations, which included senior members of the local government department and the department of housing and urban development. Moreover, as the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act of 1995 is not applicable to the bifurcation of plots smaller than 500 square metres, a one-time waiver had been suggested by the members of the committee. 

Reportedly, the committee members decided to give all the concerned departments six months to resolve the pending applications after taking note of the pending requests for the regularisation of authorised colonies. According to the illegal colonies regularisation policy of 1998, all applications must be resolved within two years of the demand notice date and the payment of the required fees, however, in many cases, the applicants failed to submit either the required fees or papers.

No NOC required for registration; some important points to be highlighted here:

• No matter the colony’s level of regularisation, plots in the unauthorised/illegal colonies built before March 19, 2018, will have their status changed (will be regularised)

• Notably, in colonies where regularisation certificates have been obtained, no NOC is necessary for registration purposes. However, buildings that have already been built in regularised colonies are not eligible for the waiver.

• Most important point here is, three categories will be eligible for the waiver: those who applied but weren’t regularised, those who didn’t apply or were rejected, and those developed before March 19, 2018.

• Lastly, even if the development fees and regularisation fee paid by plot owners in a certain colony are less than 50%, one must spend on the development works.

Furthermore, It has now been decided to give six months to colonisers and four months to individual plot owners to file their selling deeds. Moreover, upon filing of these deeds, the provisional certificates provided to the colonisers and individual plot holders will be transformed to the final regularisation certificates.