Curation Team
MOHALI: In a significant push towards curbing the mushrooming of illegal and unauthorised colonies, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (Gmada) is set to acquire land across the city. The Punjab govt has approved the acquisition of nearly 2,600 acres of land across various sectors for commercial, institutional, industrial, and residential use.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the executive committee of Gmada here Friday. It was chaired by state chief secretary KAP Sinha.
As per the plan, 236 acres will be acquired in Sector 87 for commercial purposes, 313 acres in Sector 84 for institutional projects, and 321 acres in sectors 101 to 103 for industrial use. The biggest chunk — 1,800 acres — will be acquired in sectors 120 to 124 along the PR-7 road for residential development.
The acquisition is expected to begin within a month, pending final approval from chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, who also heads the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority.
A senior Gmada official confirmed that with this move, no Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions will be granted to private developers in the targeted areas. “This will ensure regulated development and curb the unchecked spread of unauthorised colonies,” he explained.
Particularly in sectors 120 to 123, several unauthorised colonies have mushroomed across nearly 50 acres in villages like Daun, Raipur, Behlolpur, Barmajra, Tarauli, and Jhampur. These were carved out of agricultural land without CLU approvals or the required official clearances.
The chief administrator has directed officials to submit a report within two days to fix responsibility for such violations. Authorities have also been instructed to use Google satellite imagery to identify illegal constructions and take immediate legal action.
The move is seen as a firm step towards enforcing urban planning norms and preventing haphazard growth in one of Punjab’s fastest developing regions.
