Punjab colonisers to launch state-wide agitation against AAP govt this week

: The Punjab Colonisers and Property Dealers Association on Sunday announced a state-wide agitation against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government from this week for its ‘failure’ to roll out a clear policy for regularising illegal colonies and lodging of FIRs against colonisers across the state.

The association’s core committee meeting in Ludhiana decided to hold a protest rally in the city on July 28, following which protests will be held across the state.

The colonisers rued that AAP in its election manifesto had mentioned that the illegal colonies will be regularised but no steps have yet been taken by the government and instead, the departments have initiated action against the colonisers, who have applied for regularisation under the policies floated by the previous governments.

General secretary of the association, Deepak Badyal, stated that rather than providing any relief, the government has further pushed the sector towards slump. Hiked collector rates have added to the woes, but the government is still not paying heed to the problems being faced by the real estate sector.

The colonisers said that restrictions imposed on issuance of NOCs and frequent orders/conditions being imposed by different departments are taking a toll on the business.

GS Lamba, president of the association, said, “now the government has issued another order that NOC is required even in the case of sub-division of a property, against which the owner had already availed the NOC in the past. The sector is being pushed into slump and we have decided to raise voice against the same.”

“FIRs are also being lodged against those colonisers who have applied for regularisation under the policies floated by previous governments too,” Lamba said.

During his recent visit to the city on July 22, local bodies minister Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar stated that the government will float a policy for regularising the illegal colonies within a month.

Meanwhile, a section of colonisers have also announced to stage a protest against the state government outside the sub-registrar office in Transport Nagar on Monday. The protest will be held under the banner of Land dealers and colonisers association over the same issues.