Punjab cabinet clears amnesty scheme to allow residential, commercial plot allottees to pay up dues

The Punjab cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to an amnesty scheme to allow allottees of residential and commercial plots and flats to pay up outstanding instalments.

Through the Punjab Urban Development Authorities Amnesty Scheme-2021, the state government aims to recover Rs 700 crore dues from the allottees of flats, residential, commercial, institutional and industrial plots, and chunk sites sold through draw of lots, auction or any other process.

The allottees who have defaulted on payment of one or more installments due after December 31, 2013 may deposit the principal amount, along with scheme rate of interest, according to an official spokesperson of the Punjab Chief Minister's Office.

The cases where allotments have been cancelled due to default on payment of installments due after December 31, 2013 or litigation on this count will also be covered under the scheme.

These cases would be treated as if the cancellation was not done, and the forfeited amount would be treated as credited to the allottees' accounts on the date of forfeiture.

In a virtual meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the state cabinet also gave approval for establishment of an enforcement directorate to check illegal mining in the state.

The directorate, to be headed by a senior police officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG), will be set up in the Mining and Geology Wing of the Water Resources Department.

It will also help in ramping up the state's revenues by curbing the menace of illegal mining.

The spokesperson said the directorate would help in checking and stopping unauthorised movement of minor minerals within the state and at the interstate borders of Punjab in conjunction with officials of the mining department.

The directorate will also check that those involved in sand and gravel business do not charge over the sale price ceiling prescribed in the mining policy.

The chief minister had announced earlier this month the constitution of an enforcement directorate to "completely eliminate the scourge of illegal mining" from the state.

The state cabinet also gave its approval to the amended Remission Policy-2021 under which convicted prisoners in Punjab will now be eligible for remission from time to time, instead of just once.

The amended policy makes remission applicable for prisoners sentenced to imprisonment for more than 10 years, including prisoners sentenced for life, instead of prisoners convicted for 10 to 20 years under the earlier policy.

In March last year, a government panel considering premature release of prisoners found some ambiguities in the Remission Policy-2010.

In another decision, the cabinet gave approval for running cattle sheds on public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The move is aimed at streamlining the functioning of cattle sheds run by the government in districts and effectively handling the menace of stray animals.

Twenty cattle sheds have been established in Punjab that house as many as 10,024 head of stray cattle.