15 august 2024 : The state Cabinet has granted preliminary approval to eliminate the requirement for a “no-objection certificate” (NOC) for land and property registration. Consequently, the Housing Department has been instructed to develop procedures to provide relief to the intended beneficiaries.
Property owners who can demonstrate the authenticity of their sale deed, executed prior to July 31, 2024, will receive a one-time exemption from the NOC requirement. However, additional directives are being issued to ensure stringent oversight to prevent the proliferation of illegal colonies.
Currently, there are more than 14,000 illegal colonies within the state, and numerous legitimate buyers in these areas are encountering difficulties in obtaining NOCs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development as well as the Department of Local Government.
Following an extensive discussion, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development has been tasked with collaborating with the Local Bodies, Revenue Department, and the office of the Advocate General (AG) to establish the necessary procedures before the one-time relief is granted to property owners, as stated by officials.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has conducted multiple meetings over the last two years to enhance the process of monitoring and issuing online NOCs. Nevertheless, complaints regarding delays in obtaining NOCs have arisen due to the involvement of various agencies in the verification of related records.
Officials have emphasized that the waiver of the NOC will not provide any advantages to colonizers or plot holders in colonies that do not comply with the criteria established under the Punjab Laws (Special Provisions for Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2018.
