No registries sans verification of colonies’ status, says govt

CHANDIGARH: To streamline work and check property-related frauds, the Punjab government on Wednesday issued clear instructions to sub-registrars regarding the registration of plots in illegal and unauthorised housing colonies.

The government has asked the housing and urban development and local bodies departments to publish lists of licensed and authorised colonies and housing schemes along with area details, khasra numbers and approved layout plan so that the area is clearly defined where no-objection certificates (NOCs) are not required for registration of documents related to sale deed or transfer of ownership.

These lists will be readily available with all sub-registrars and they will register the sale deeds only after verifying the status of the colonies as per the instructions issued by the revenue department.

The development comes a few days after the CM launched an online portal “https://grcs.punjab.gov.in” wherein citizens can register their grievances related to possession of plots. “This online portal would provide property possession related services and help in expediting the property possession processes,” said a spokesperson.

He added that earlier, there were no clear instructions from the government which led to mushrooming of illegal colonies on the outskirts of the cities. As per information, there are over 15,000 colonies that have come up in the last five years.

Last month, the government suspended two revenue officers of the level of tehsildar for registering ownership deeds of properties falling in unauthorised housing colonies, subsequent to which the revenue staff across the state including district revenue officers, tehsildars and naibtehsildars proceeded on mass casual as a mark of protest.

They were seeking clarity on the system of procuring NoCs before registration of a property, which according to them was not clear. In a dialogue with the revenue staff association, government assured to bring out clarity on the system of NoCs.

According to Punjab revenue minister Bram Shanker Jimpa, illegal colonies are not only resulting in haphazard urbanisation in the state, but also causing hardships to the common man, adding that people spend their life savings on purchase of plots and they do not even get possession in these illegal colonies.

Additional chief secretarycum-financial commissioner revenue Anurag Agarwal informed that a dedicated cell has been created to analyse the applications received on the portal and to process the them as per the requirements.