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Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) In an initiative aimed at speeding up urban development by allowing construction of stilt-plus-four storeys in all new constructions, the Punjab Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday gave its approval to the Punjab Unified Building Rules 2025.
A spokesperson from the Chief Minister’s Office said the building rules are aimed at introducing a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework governing building and development activities across the state.
These rules apply equally to the Housing and Urban Development Department and the Local Government Department, ensuring consistency and simplification in approvals and enforcement.
Key reforms focus on ease of doing business, efficient land use and vertical urban development. These rules will provide for increasing the permissible height for low-rise buildings from 15 meters to 21 meters and enable third party self-certification for plan approval and completion.
The Cabinet also approved rationalization of stamp duty and registration fees on instruments of hypothecation and equitable mortgage by amending the Indian Stamp Act 1899 (Punjab) and Registration Fee Rules.
The move is a progressive and business-friendly initiative aimed at reducing the financial burden on industries. It promotes ease of doing business and improves access to affordable credit besides enhancing the competitiveness and overall economic environment of the state.
The Cabinet also gave its consent to the Punjab Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Counseling and Rehabilitation Centers Rules 2025, replacing the existing 2011 rules and the First Amendment Rules of 2020, to strengthen the regulation of de-addiction and rehabilitation centers across the state. The rules addressed the shortcomings of the 2011 rules and the subsequent amendments to the 2020 rules to regulate 36 government and 177 licensed private de-addiction centers as well as OOAT clinics.
This will help strengthen licensing, renewal and inspection processes, biometric attendance and mandatory online data reporting.
The Cabinet also approved filling up of 14 Group-A, 16 Group-B and 80 Group-C posts in Punjab Sports Medical Cadre to strengthen the sports medical support system in the districts. It will also help in promoting scientific sports development and keeping pace with national standards as well as improving injury management, recovery and performance of players. These professionals will be deployed in major sports districts like Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, SAS Nagar, Ropar and Hoshiarpur, where the number of players is high.
To provide quality and affordable healthcare to the employees working in factories and industrial units in Dera Bassi and surrounding areas, the Cabinet approved leasing of about four acres of land for setting up a 100-bed ESI hospital at Dera Bassi. At present, employees in Dera Bassi and surrounding industrial areas are dependent on ESI facilities in Ludhiana, Mohali and Chandigarh, which are inadequate to meet the growing health care demand. This step will reduce the burden of patients on the existing ESI hospitals and promote industrial welfare and social security in the major industrial area of the state.
–IANS
GG/VD