The Punjab government has approved wide-ranging amendments to the Punjab Private Housing Schemes Rules, 2022, introducing stricter planning conditions, stronger safeguards for buyers, and a fully digital approval process for private housing projects.
The amendments were cleared by the Punjab Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business and will come into force after their publication in the official gazette.
Officials said the changes are aimed at improving transparency, discouraging unregulated development, and promoting better urban planning across the province.
Under the new framework, all applications for new housing schemes and revisions to existing projects will be processed through a centralised digital platform.
Projects involving more than five landowners will now be required to register as companies or cooperative societies, while joint ventures will be restricted to five entities.
The revised rules also divide housing schemes into four categories, including schemes below 100 kanals, farm housing schemes, apartment projects, and low-cost housing developments.
Affordable housing projects will be required to use terms such as “low cost” or “budget” in their official names to prevent misleading buyers.
Developers will also be required to allocate land for parks, Playgrounds, graveyards, public buildings, roads, and waste management facilities.
According to the new rules, open spaces must account for 5pc to 7pc of the total area in most schemes and at least 10pc in apartment projects, while graveyards must cover a minimum of 2pc. Commercial areas will be capped between 5pc and 10pc, while land reserved for public buildings will range from 2pc to 3pc.
The rules further require all utility infrastructure, including water, sewerage, gas, electricity, telecommunications, and internet services, to be laid underground before road construction begins.
Developers will also need approvals from the relevant agencies and must secure environmental clearance within six months.
Enforcement provisions have also been tightened, with daily fines ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 for illegal developments or project delays.
Upon completion, housing schemes will be handed over to seven-member management committees comprising sponsors and residents, which will be responsible for maintenance and financial management.
Officials said the reforms are intended to modernise the regulatory framework for private housing schemes, improve consumer protection, encourage affordable housing, and support sustainable urban development in Punjab.
