The Punjab governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, has approved the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2024, which removes the requirement for a no objection certificate (NOC) for land registration in unauthorized colonies. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann hailed this as a significant relief for residents, addressing challenges faced by small plot holders. The amendment allows individuals with properties up to 500 square yards, who have relevant legal documents, to register without an NOC. Previous amendments had inadvertently caused difficulties for these individuals without effectively curbing the rise of unauthorized colonies, which Mann attributed to past government mismanagement.
The governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, has granted his approval to the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2024, which eliminates the requirement for a no objection certificate (NOC) for the registration of land deeds. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann, referred to this as a 'Diwali Bonanza' for the residents of the state.
Earlier this month, the Punjab Assembly passed the amendment bill, providing relief to individuals owning plots of up to 500 square yards purchased before the end of July in approximately 14,000 unauthorized colonies within the state by waiving the NOC requirement. Following this, the governor's office issued a letter to the special chief secretary to the Chief Minister, confirming that Kataria had signed the bill.
Expressing gratitude to the governor for approving the bill, Mann stated that the amendment was intended to ensure strict control over illegal colonies while providing relief to small plot holders. He noted that it represents a significant reprieve for the common man, aiming to address the difficulties faced by the public in registering their plots and to impose restrictions on the development of unauthorized colonies. The amendment includes provisions for penalties and punishments for offenders.
Mann highlighted that while certain colonisers profited illegally, it was the people who suffered. He remarked that illegal colonies had proliferated during what he referred to as the "long misrule" of previous governments, which had supported illegal colonisers. He emphasised that this initiative would offer substantial relief to millions who had inadvertently invested their hard-earned money in these unlawful colonies.
Earlier in the day, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora conveyed the information on behalf of the state government, stating that residents of unauthorized colonies would no longer encounter difficulties in registering their properties. He attributed the rise of over 14,000 unauthorized colonies in the state to the previous Akali and Congress governments.
According to the amendment, any individual who, by the end of July 2024, has entered into a power of attorney, agreement to sell on stamp paper, or any other similar document for an area of up to 500 square yards located in an unauthorized colony will not require an NOC for land registration. Such property owners will be eligible to have their areas registered accordingly.
In 2014, the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act (PAPRA) of 1995, which establishes provisions for the development of new colonies, was amended to limit the spread of unauthorized colonies and to make the Act more investor-friendly. However, the previous amendment resulted in "undue hardship" for small plot holders attempting to obtain NOCs for the registration of sale deeds or for securing power connections, while it failed to effectively control the proliferation of unauthorized colonies.
The approval of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2024, marks a significant step towards alleviating the challenges faced by residents of unauthorized colonies in Punjab. By eliminating the NOC requirement for land registration, the amendment aims to provide much-needed relief to small plot holders while also enforcing stricter controls on the proliferation of illegal colonies. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's acknowledgment of past government failures highlights the ongoing commitment to rectify these issues and ensure a fair and streamlined process for property registration, ultimately benefiting countless residents across the state.
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