MOHALI: A potential relief for over 30,000 plot allottees in sectors 76 to 80 is on the horizon as the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has proposed reducing enhancement charges by Rs 800 per square yard. However, this proposal awaits final approval, as the state government is seeking a comparative review of enhancement charge calculations used by other regional development authorities.
The decision was made during a GMADA executive committee meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha, who also leads the committee. The meeting took place at the PUDA office in Sector 62 on Thursday.
Before proceeding with the proposed reduction, Chief Secretary Sinha instructed Vikas Garg, Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, to analyze enhancement charge models used by the Noida Housing Authority and Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) at Panchkula.
Enhancement charges refer to the supplementary compensation paid to landowners for acquired land, which is later recovered from plot allottees who have their plots derived from that land. This ongoing concern has sparked questions among allottees regarding the increasing charges and administrative delays in their calculations.
Currently, GMADA levies Rs 3,164 per square meter (approximately Rs 2,645 per square yard), with a proposed revision to Rs 2,364 per square meter (around Rs 1,864 per square yard). If approved, this change would provide relief of approximately Rs 800 per square yard to thousands of allottees.
The proposed revision will be re-evaluated after reviewing the enhancement formulas from Noida and Haryana, with findings to be presented at the next executive committee meeting for final approval.
Historically, enhancement rates in 2013 were significantly lower, ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 850 per square yard, based on plot size. The steep current rates are a result of compounded interest accumulated over the past decade due to administrative delays in GMADA’s enhancement calculation processes.
This initiative reflects the state’s attempt to balance the compensation for original landowners with the financial relief for plot allottees while ensuring that Punjab’s urban development authorities align with those of neighboring states.
Plot owners in the affected sectors have responded positively to the potential revision but remain cautiously optimistic, awaiting the final decision from the GMADA executive committee.
