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The Punjab cabinet has approved imposing charges on encroachments of village common lands, including panchayat roads and watercourses, with price fixation committees under deputy commissioners determining amounts. Proceeds will be shared between the state and local bodies, and alternate routes provided where needed. The cabinet also cleared amendments to the Right to Business Act to speed up industrial approvals, and sanctioned a special court in Mohali for NIA cases, which will also handle ED and CBI matters. Other decisions included a one-time settlement scheme for rice millers, amendments to the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, and passage of the Punjab GST (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The Punjab cabinet has given its nod to impose charges on those who have encroached upon village common lands, including panchayat roads and watercourses. The finance minister explained that many such spaces were under unauthorised occupation by individuals and developers. Price fixation committees, headed by respective deputy commissioners, will determine the payable amounts, with the proceeds shared between the state government and the local body concerned. Amendments will be made to the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964 to enable the process, since the land belongs to the state. Officials noted that alternative routes will be arranged where required. Advertisement
In a separate decision, the cabinet approved changes to the Right to Business Act with the objective of speeding up industrial approvals. Clearances for factories, environmental consents, forest permissions, and labour-related approvals will be granted in a shorter timeframe under the revised framework.
The cabinet also endorsed the setting up of a special court in Mohali to handle National Investigation Agency matters, while extending its jurisdiction to hear cases of the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and other such agencies. For this purpose, a new post of district and sessions judge or an additional judge will be created, with the intention of expediting trial proceedings.
To settle longstanding disputes with rice millers who had not cleared dues with state procurement agencies, a one-time settlement scheme was also approved. This scheme is expected to resolve financial backlogs and restore eligibility for defaulting millers to participate in future paddy procurement seasons.
Further, the cabinet gave clearance to amend sections of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995, aimed at promoting planned real estate development and reducing public grievances. Alongside this, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment Bill), 2025 was passed to simplify compliance requirements and bring state legislation into alignment with the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. These legislative amendments are to be presented in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha session.
By approving charges for village land encroachments and clearing a series of legislative amendments, the Punjab cabinet has signalled a decisive effort to strengthen governance across multiple sectors.
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