Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had good news for builders on Tuesday. He said builders could now get licence for an approved colony even if it is raised on 25 acres only. The earlier criterion was 100 acres.

In February 2009, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal had reduced the size to 75 acres, though no notification was issued thereafter. Builders hope the CM’s assurance will be followed by a notification. Badal said the decision had been made to fight the economic slowdown.

If the decision is implemented, it can bring hundreds of new builders to the market in cities like Ludhiana , Jalandhar and Amritsar .

“Apart from this, mega housing projects in Punjab are leaving 10 per cent of the space for the economically weaker section but at the same time, a scheme for the rural poor also needs to be formulated,” said the CM.

“The Government is also thinking of formulating a scheme on affordable housing for the rural poor. Villagers living near the border live in kuccha houses which suffers damage in rainy season. Builders should come up with schemes for the rural areas too,” he said.

The CM was in Ludhiana to inaugurate the controversial 100-acre Crown Town project of former minister Jagdish Singh Garcha.

All clearances to this project were given in a hurry in the last one week, which had raised eyebrows. The project is yet to get licence. Badal, however, said the project had no lapses and the matter was being unnecessarily given a political colour.

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