New policy on illegal colonies framed with consensus: Bajwa

The modified draft will be sent to the chief minister this week for approval after which it will be sent to cabinet. TRIPT RAJINDER SINGH BAJWA, housing, urban dev minister

CHANDIGARH:THE cabinet sub-committee on regularising illegal colonies has reached a consensus on the new policy after some modifications following deliberations with other ministers, Punjab housing and urban development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by local bodies minister minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, dairy development and animal husbandry minister Balbir Sidhu, food and supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, industries minister Sunder Sham Arora and PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla.

Interacting with the media after the meeting, Bajwa said the modified draft would be sent to chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh this week for approval after which it would be sent to the cabinet nod. He said a major relief has been given to residents and colonisers keeping in view the instructions of the CM and promises made in the election manifesto. He said efforts have also been made to consider the interests of all stakeholders while framing the new policy.

At the start of the meeting, officials of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) presented a new draft of the regularisation of illegal colonies. The draft was debated upon by ministers, MLAS, property dealers and colonisers.

A government statement said the property dealers and colonisers associations welcomed the new policy being brought in by the state government and assured that in future, no coloniser would develop an illegal colony.