Punjab Cabinet Approves Farmhouse Policy on Chandigarh Outskirts, Ensuring Sustainable Development

This move seeks to provide clarity, transparency, and environmental safeguards for previously unregulated farmhouses while preventing commercial exploitation. File Photo.

The Punjab Cabinet has approved a policy to regularise farmhouses on lands that are excluded from the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, particularly in the sensitive Kandi belt of the lower Shivalik Hills, stretching from Mohali to Pathankot. The policy covers approximately 55,000 hectares of previously PLPA-delisted land, offering a structured framework for low-impact residential units while ensuring strict environmental safeguards.

Under this policy, the minimum plot size is one acre (4,000 sq yards), with construction limited to G+1 structures and a low Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The framework strictly prohibits any commercial activity while requiring the plantation of indigenous trees, the use of sustainable building materials, and provisions for rainwater harvesting and solar energy. Basements are prohibited, and plot divisions are not allowed. Applicants must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department and comply with afforestation guidelines.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated that the “Policy for Approval/Regularisation of Low-Impact Green Habitat” follows “Supreme Court directives and central environmental guidelines. It aims to ensure sustainable development without compromising the ecological balance.

While the policy aims to regularise existing farmhouses, environmentalists have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, noting that influential landowners, including politicians and bureaucrats, may benefit. There are also questions regarding the lack of a formal environmental impact assessment before implementation.

The Housing and Urban Development departments, led by Secretary Vikas Garg, have been tasked with framing detailed guidelines for regularising unauthorised structures. The policy also provides clear instructions on site coverage, floor limits, and approvals for future constructions.

This move seeks to provide clarity, transparency, and environmental safeguards for previously unregulated farmhouses while preventing commercial exploitation. By formalising rules for PLPA-delisted land, the Punjab government aims to regulate development responsibly, protecting both natural habitats and legal frameworks in the ecologically sensitive Shivalik region.