Polls a year away, Manohar Khattar regularises another 303 unauthorised colonies: ‘will benefit 10 lakh people’

These colonies comprise 193 under 39 municipalities and 110 governed by the Town and Country Planning Department.

Khattar said special attention is being given to sewer lines, water supply, roads, street lights, parks and other development works in a total of over 400 such regularised colonies in urban areas.

The Chief Minister also announced complete waiver of taxes and penalties on outstanding property tax.

According to an official, the decision would provide a direct benefit worth around Rs 8,000 crore to property owners in the state.

The notified colonies being regularised are situated on a total of 5,000 acres of land, according to an official. The government will spend Rs 60 lakh per acre on creating civic facilities and other development works in these colonies, the official added.

Earlier, in August, Khattar had said his government has decided to regularise 450 unauthorised colonies situated beyond the municipal limits, which also fall under the purview of the town and country planning department. The government had sought information about such colonies on a designated portal. As many as 1,507 colonies are still remaining to be regularized. Of these, 936 are from urban local bodies and 571 are in controlled areas. “It is our resolve that these colonies will also be regularised by January 31, 2024,” Khattar said.

He said special monitoring would be done so as to stop the mushrooming of unauthorized colonies in the state. Strict provisions have been made for this, Khattar said, adding said beginning 2014, a total of 1,438 colonies have been regularised.

He said the sale and purchase of sale deeds in unauthorised colonies were banned. However, the government has given concession and recognized the sale deed executed before July 1, 2022. Those who had registered their sale deed or agreement to sell will be considered to have sold the said properties, he said.

Meanwhile, Khattar said the state government has formulated Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana with the aim of providing a roof over the heads of the economically weaker sections of the state.

Under this scheme, one lakh houses or plots will be given to eligible families. Applications are being sent to poor families whose annual income is less than Rs 1.80 lakh and who do not have a house. So far two lakh people have applied.

Khattar also announced the opening of a “kshatipurti portal” for cotton crop losses due to pink bollworm pest attack in some districts of the state. He said the compensation will be provided at a rate ranging from Rs 7,000 to 15,000 per acre. Similarly, for farmers who re-sowed paddy due to losses caused by flooding earlier in July, compensation will be provided at a rate of Rs 7,000 per acre, he announced.