Chandigarh, July 31: To unlock urban housing potential and generate additional revenue, the Punjab government has proposed sweeping relaxations in its draft Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025, including the construction of stilt-plus-four floors in licensed colonies and sectors.
The move would allow building heights of up to 17.5 meters, provided the plot is located along roads that are at least 12 meters (approximately 40 feet) wide. The proposal mirrors similar measures implemented in Haryana and is being positioned as a user-friendly reform aimed at simplifying construction rules across the state.
However, urban planning experts and former government officials warn that the plan may severely strain the already overstretched civic infrastructure in older urban centers.
“Before such norms are relaxed, a proper infrastructure capacity audit is essential,” said Gurpreet Singh, a former Chief Town Planner. “The study must differentiate between new sectors and older, congested areas.”
The proposed changes are set to apply to urban areas under the jurisdiction of both the Housing and Urban Development Department and the Local Bodies Department, once the rules are formally notified after a public consultation process.
The draft also suggests allowing additional ground coverage beyond the current limit, which could be legally purchased at the collector rates applicable to each area.
According to sources within the government, the push for increasing vertical development is largely motivated by a desire to enhance revenue collections and encourage optimal land use.
But the response from experts has been far from optimistic. Critics argue that cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Mohali are already buckling under the weight of existing populations, with ongoing problems related to solid waste management, sewerage systems, and a dearth of parking spaces.
Jeet Kumar Gupta, senior town planner and former adviser to the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA), raised concern over another contentious clause in the draft: the option to purchase up to 50 percent of the parking space otherwise mandated by law.
“They are essentially selling what should never be saleable—parking space,” Gupta said. “Unless proper community parking is ensured, this will only aggravate parking chaos.”
The proposal to monetise parking space has sparked fears of unregulated commercial exploitation, especially in high-density areas where roads and lanes already struggle to accommodate existing vehicle volumes.
Experts say while the intention to bring uniformity and unlock real estate value is understandable, urban planning must not take a backseat. “Such sweeping relaxations may work in newly developed sectors,” said Gurpreet Singh, “but in older city areas, it could trigger a civic collapse.”
With the draft now open for public opinion, the government will need to balance development aspirations with the long-standing urban challenges that plague Punjab’s major towns and cities.
