A bill to legalise unauthorised constructions was passed by the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday. By charging a “impact fee”, illegal construction would be made legal under the Gujarat Regularisation of Unauthorised Development Ordinance, 2022.
The ordinance will allow for the regularisation of unauthorised constructions carried out within the boundaries of all municipal corporations, urban development authorities and municipalities in the state by paying impact fees, as per the government’s decision. Any construction done prior to October 1, 2022, will be subject to this.
Those who wish to take advantage of the scheme must apply within four months of the notification’s release date which is October 17. The payment must be made within two months. Those who provide false information will face legal repercussions.
Urban development minister Rishikesh Patel said, the bill was introduced after the Gujarat High Court took a strong stance on illegal structures in the wake of hospital fires when he presented it to the Assembly on Tuesday. He claimed that many structures without building use (BU) permission and that demolishing them would be “inhuman” because it would leave many people homeless and take away their jobs.
To participate in the programme applicants must submit an application through the e-Nagar portal. Government-set fees are used to regularise structures. Construction on public roads, waterways, electricity or gas lines or athletic fields will not be allowed to regularised.
Arjun Modhwadia, Congress leader who opposes the bill, claimed that more than 2 lakh illegal structures can be found in Ahmedabad’s East Zone alone, yet only 1,288 applications have been submitted. Despite the fact that the government brought the regulation back for a second time after a decade this still holds true. Giving people the chance to legalise their constructions is a good thing but there needs to be a system in place to prevent the emergence of any more unauthorised structures.
The government has brought the Bill three times — in 2001, 2011 and 2022. Modhwadia said the message to builders and people is “continue with illegal constructions, they will be regularised.”