Shimla: Laying the HP Apartment and Property Regulation Act (2005) review report in the Vidhan Sabha, the committee headed by Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP) has recommended repealing of the very law because it was being misused. Instead the committee has asked for strengthening the HP Town and Country Planning Act (1977) to regulate building laws in the state.
After Bhardwaj (BJP) tabled the report in the house today, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal assured lawmakers that the government would study the report and act upon the its recommendations.
Reading out the main findings in the report, Bhardwaj let the house know that some of clauses in the Apartment Act were overlapping with the Town and Country Planning Act and the need for having a separate Apartment Act was not felt.
The committee findings included that the act was being misused for benami constructions on both sides of national highways, properties being under assessed for tax purposes and other violations.
Recommending repealing of the law, the committee was of the view that some of the clauses of the apartment act could be incorporated into the town and country planning laws and strengthening it would serve the regulatory purpose.
Welcoming the committee recommendations, congress lawmaker Kuldeep Pathania said their party’s apprehensions over the violations taking place are reflected in the report tabled.
Dhumal reminded Pathania that it was the congress government which had passed the law in 2005 despite BJP having opposed it vehemently then.
The Dhumal government, which was under fire during the budget session for alleged violations being made by colonizers in the state, had asked the speaker to constitute a committee for reviewing the very law.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
