'Progressive Front Punjab' sends memorandum to Punjab Chief Minister demanding regularization of approximately 55,000 illegal colonies and repeal of the Periphery Control Act, 1952

'Progressive Front Punjab' sends memorandum to Punjab Chief Minister demanding regularization of approximately 55,000 illegal colonies and repeal of the Periphery Control Act, 1952

The memorandum seeks immediate relief for around 20 million residents living both within and outside the 'Lal Dora' (village habitation boundary) across 12,894 villages in Punjab

Front leaders stated that for corrupt officials, 'NOC' has now come to mean a "New Option for Corruption"

S.A.S.Nagar 19 June ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : A memorandum was sent today on behalf of 'Progressive Front Punjab' to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, demanding the immediate and unconditional regularization of approximately 55,000 allegedly illegal colonies in the state. It also called for the repeal of the 'Punjab New Capital Periphery Control Act, 1952' to provide relief to the residents of Mohali and Rupnagar districts. Addressing a press conference regarding this, Front Chairman Advocate Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, President Harminder Singh Mavi, General Secretary (Retd. Inspector) Mahinder Singh Manauli Surat, Dr. Daljit Singh Kailo, and Rajnish Khanna stated that these colonies have been developed over the past 25–30 years. The government has facilitated property registrations and provided electricity and water connections for them. Residents have built their homes using bank loans and are actively repaying the installments.

They noted that due to the growing rural population, a large number of people are living outside the village habitation boundary ('Lal Dora'). This population totals approximately 19 million, comprising around 3.8 million families. No government in the last 25–30 years has addressed their issues. The current government has halted the registration of properties and houses located in these colonies and areas outside the 'Lal Dora,' affecting lakhs of people and causing them immense hardship. The leaders stated that the government's policy has not only caused a loss of crores of rupees in state revenue but has also rendered lakhs of people unemployed. An injustice is being committed against the people of Punjab by banning the registration of land parcels smaller than one kanal. Registrations for plots located within the village 'Lal Dora' (village boundary) are also not being processed. This government move has opened up new avenues for bribery among government officials. They further added that farmers and landowners around Mohali city are being prevented from constructing sheds on their land for rental purposes or personal use. This is impacting their income and constitutes a violation of their fundamental rights. The government should immediately issue orders in the public interest regarding this matter.

Leaders of the front alleged that the state bureaucracy deliberately formulates complex policies on this issue to perpetuate corruption and extort crores of rupees from the common people. They noted that the government has provided grants worth crores to many of these colonies, and approximately 50 percent of the state's politicians and officials reside in them. The very officials who previously facilitated the registration of these properties are now harassing people by imposing various restrictions. They demanded that residents of villages falling under the Mohali city area be permitted to construct up to a height of 55 feet on their plots and that the village 'Lal Dora' limit be extended by 500 meters. They stated that government policies have left lakhs of laborers, masons, individuals associated with the sand, gravel, and brick trades, painters, electricians, and others unemployed, creating a livelihood crisis for them. The leaders remarked that, to date, the government has failed to formulate an effective housing policy for the poor and lower-middle-income groups—those earning between ₹10,000 and ₹50,000 per month—living in and around the cities.

The front appealed to the Chief Minister to immediately abolish the NOC requirement for these colonies, as the acronym NOC has effectively come to stand for "New Option for Corruption." Additionally, the Chief Minister was urged not to place blind faith in bureaucratic advice regarding this matter and to avoid implementing any policy that might create confusion. The Front also appealed to all state MLAs, opposition political parties, farmers' unions, labor organizations, traders, lawyers, and social and religious groups to take this issue to the masses and exert pressure on the government, thereby ensuring relief for approximately 60 percent of the state's residents. Addressing the Chief Minister, the leaders stated that bribery is rampant in the state's municipal corporations and municipal councils and must be curbed immediately.

Providing further details in this regard, Advocate Darshan Singh Dhaliwal stated that copies of the memorandum have also been sent to the Revenue Minister, Housing Minister, Local Bodies Minister, Chief Secretary, Financial Commissioner, and the Chief Administrator of PUDA/GMADA. Furthermore, the memorandum has been sent to the presidents of all political parties in the state.