HP assembly adjourned sine die, passes controversial bill on

last day Shimla, Aug 27 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Assembly todaywas adjourned sine die after passing five bills, including onethat paves way for "regularisation" of illegal constructionsin some areas on "as is, where is" basis for a payment ofnominal compounding fee. Both the ruling and Opposition parties of the housesupported the ‘Town and Country Planning (amendment) Bill’ andsome of them even wanted the compounding fee be "furtherreduced". The bill not only provides for regularisation ofdeviations up to 70 per cent but even the buildingsconstructed without any sanctioned building plan would beregularised. However, there would be no exemption for regularisation ofconstructions in green and heritage areas, encroached landsand pockets kept for parks, sewerage or other facilities andthe parking converted into other use, except in cases wherealternate equivalent and excess space is available forparking. The regularisation fee would be Rs 800 per sq m and wouldbe charged in case of deviation from building planwithin municipal areas while the same would be half forbuildings outside municipal areas. In case no permission had been taken for development, theregularisation fee would be Rs 1200 per sq m in municipalareas and Rs 600 per sq m in areas outside the municipallimits. The regularisation fee would be doubled in case ofcommercial, hotel, tourism and industrial or other use. The owners of illegal buildings would be given 60 daystime to apply for regularisation after the bill gets assentfrom the Governor and notified in the Gazette. The number of unauthorised buildings stood at 13,000until March 31, but is likely to increase to 25,000 as moretime has been afforded to the violators to get the illegalconstructions regularised. The House also passed the Himachal Pradesh National LawUniversity bill for setting up Law University in the state. The BJP members wanted that Governor and not the ChiefJustice of High Court should be Chancellor of the University,but the government did not agree and argued that same patternwas being followed in all national law universities. The House also passed the bills prohibiting the sale ofloose cigarettes/beedis and compulsory registration of tobaccodealers, bill making sale of intoxicating drugsunauthorisedly, "cognisable and non-bailable" and two billsamending the Municipal Corporation Act and MunicipalCommittees Act to enhance the amount of fine on the offencescovered under the twin acts. PTI PCL AQS ZMNAQS