Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday assured the representatives of Punjab Colonisers and Property Dealers' Association that the new real estate policy will be made in consultation with all the stakeholders.

He also promised to examine what further steps his government could legally take on the demand of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Punjab to help the industry recover from the adverse impact of the Supreme Court ban on sale of liquor along the highways.

The CM made these assurances at a meeting with representatives of the two associations.

While the property dealers’ delegation was led by the association president Kultar Singh Jogi and general secretary Gurvinder Singh Lamba, the hotel and restaurant association was represented by its chief patron Paramjit Singh and general secretary Amarvir Singh.

Others present in the meeting were CM's media adviser Raveen Thukral, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Sunil Jakhar, Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla and local MLA Shyam Sundar Arora.

While the real estate sector has been on the downhill for the past several years due to the 'destructive' policies of the previous Akali regime, the hotel and restaurant industry has taken a severe hit due to the SC ban on highway liquor sale, the delegations pointed out.

The CM assured the delegations of giving their problems a sympathetic look.

At the meeting, the colonisers and builders requested for inclusion of their representatives in the committee formulating the new real estate sector policy for the state, according to an official spokesperson.

In a memorandum signed by Jogi and Lamba on behalf of all district president and members of the association, they requested the CM for concessions to the realty sector as being given by his government in other fields.

They also urged regularisation of all colonies on 'as is where is' basis, for which applications had till date been submitted, besides exemption for plot holders from regularisation fee.

The association further urged scrapping of the condition for NOC for getting plans sanctioned and electric connections installed. They also demanded to put on hold all legal action against colonisers/builders till the formulation of the new policy, said the memorandum.

They urged the chief minister to take immediate steps to save the hotel industry from losses and lay-offs after the ban on selling liquor within 500 metres from the highways.

The CM said his government will take all possible steps for the revival and protection of both, the real estate and the hotel industries.