Punjab mulls law to check mushrooming of illegal colonies

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said his government would bring a law to check the mushrooming of illegal colonies in the state.

Mann said this at a meeting here in the wake of the state government’s decision to do away with the requirement of ‘No-Objection Certificate’ (NOC) for registration of land and property.

According to an official statement, the chief minister asked officers concerned to prepare a draft bill before the next session of the state assembly to act sternly against those behind illegal colonies.

Referring to the move on the NOC, Mann said the decision was aimed at facilitating the general public.

However, he said the noose around illegal colonisers needed to be tightened and hence, a fresh law must be enacted.

“Illegal colonisers dupe people by selling their unapproved colonies to them,” Mann said.

“Hapless people have to then run from pillar to post to get basic civic amenities in these colonies. The colonisers mint the money illegally but people have to bear the hardships due to their misdeeds,” he said.

This would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken against the colonisers who are selling plots before not getting them duly approved, he said.

The chief minister said the state government would not allow the mushrooming of illegal colonies.