Builders in Punjab will no longer receive exemptions from building regulations, as the government has withdrawn the new bylaws. It is pertinent to note that the Department of Urban Development had issued Unified Building Bylaws in December of last year. These bylaws granted significant relaxations regarding coverage norms to those constructing commercial and residential buildings within municipal corporation limits; however, shortly after their issuance, a court stayed their implementation. The matter remains sub judice, with the case currently pending before the Supreme Court. Amidst this ongoing legal process, the government has now decided to withdraw the 2025 Unified Building Bylaws. A notification to this effect was issued on Monday by the Principal Secretary of the Department of Urban Development, stating that—until further orders—the 2018 Building Bylaws will remain applicable within the limits of Punjab’s municipal corporations, while the 2021 Bylaws will apply to areas under the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA).
Reliefs Previously Granted to Commercial and Residential Categories:
– Exemption from the lengthy bureaucratic process—previously routed through the Municipal Corporation—required to have a 60-foot road within a Town Planning (TP) Scheme area officially declared as a ‘Commercial Road’ by the government.
– Permission for increased coverage—up to a height of 21 meters—within ‘Core Areas,’ subject to the condition of providing paid parking at a rate of ₹3 lakh per Equivalent Car Space (ECS).
– The maximum permissible building height—triggering the requirement for ‘all-around setbacks’ (open spaces on all sides)—was raised from 15 meters to 21 meters.
