Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria has accorded his consent to the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2024 to do away with the condition of no objection certificate (NOC) for registration of land deeds. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann called it ‘Diwali Bonanza’ for people of the state.
Earlier, on Sept 3, the Punjab assembly had passed the amendment bill, giving relief to those owning plots up to 500 square yards bought before July 31 in the around 14,000 unauthorised colonies in the state by waiving off the condition of NOCs.
On Thursday, the governor’s office issued a letter to the special chief secretary to the CM to communicate that Kataria had signed the bill.AdvtThanking the governor for approving the bill, Mann said that the amendment was aimed at ensuring stringent control over illegal colonies while giving relief to the small plot holders. He said, “It is a major reprieve for the common man as it aims to overcome the problem being faced by the general public in registration of their plots and to put a check on development of unauthorized colonies. It stipulates provisions of penalty and punishment to offenders.”
Mann said that while some colonisers minted money illegally, people had to bear the hardships. He added that illegal colonies had mushroomed up during the “long misrule” of the previous govts as illegal colonisers were patronised. He said that the move would give a major relief to crores of people who had mistakenly invested their hard-earned money in the illegal colonies.
Earlier in the day, cabinet minister Aman Arora shared the information “on behalf of the state govt”, adding that those living in unauthorised colonies would no longer face difficulty in getting their property registered. He blamed the previous Akali and Congress govt for mushrooming of more than 14,000 unauthorised colonies in the state.
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, has entered into a power of attorney, agreement to sell on stamp paper, or any other such document will not require any NOC for registration of land. Such property owners will be entitled to get registration of such an area executed.
In 2014, The Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, (PAPRA) 1995, which provides for setting up of new colonies, was amended to curb proliferation of unauthorised colonies and making the Act investor friendly. However, the previous amendment led to “undue hardship” to the small plot holders to get NOC for registration of sale deed or getting power connections while it did not control mushrooming of unauthorised colonies.
