In order to make housing for lower-middle and lower-income families a reality and resuscitate the real estate sector in the state, Punjab Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department will soon come up with a new affordable housing policy.

The draft of the new ‘Affordable Housing Policy’ has been uploaded on the official website for seeking suggestions from the public.

Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Aman Arora on Saturday said the department has formulated ‘Punjab Affordable Housing Policy-2022’ of which a draft has already been uploaded on the official website www.puda.gov.in for seeking suggestions from the general public.

Arora said that in the new policy, the minimum area for a plotted colony has been fixed at five acres and the minimum area required for group housing is two acres only. The saleable area has been increased to 65 per cent as compared to 55 per cent in normal colonies to provide plots at affordable rates to common man and saleable area is being given on the total plot area of the project irrespective of any master plan road passing through the plot area.

To reduce the burden on individual plot holders, the Minister said that mandatory provisions for providing schools, dispensaries and other common facilities have also been precluded. Other charges have also been reduced to 50 per cent, or half, of the as applicable for a normal colony but the reduction in charges will not be applicable in Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) area.

Maximum plot size has been fixed is up to 150 square yards and maximum flat size is fixed up to 90 square meter. Relaxation is being provided for parking norms to reduce the cost of construction.

He also made it clear that this policy will not be applicable in New Chandigarh and the area required for a new colony in SAS Nagar (Mohali) is 25 acres as per the master plan.

To enable speedy clearances of change of land use (CLU and other approvals, the Minister said that the single competent authority has been designated at local level irrespective of the size of a colony.

Now, all mandatory no objection certificates (NOCs) from the other departments will be taken by the department. The Minister said this policy will encourage the promoters to get their colonies approved in hassle-free manner and will definitely curb the mushrooming of unauthorized colonies, which will give a further boost to the real estate development in the state.