In a landmark decision, the Panchkula Municipal Corporation has initiated the regularization of 15 unauthorized colonies, offering 1-marla residential plots to families residing in these areas for over two decades. The move, part of the state’s new slum rehabilitation policy, allows residents to purchase land at 2004 collector rates—a fraction of current market prices—while retaining their existing homes.

Colonies like Indira Colony and Gandhi Colony, once deemed “encroachments,” will now receive legal water connections, sewage lines, and paved roads. PMC Commissioner Rajesh Jogpal noted that surveys identified 4,200 households eligible for the scheme, with applications open through the Antyodaya Saral Portal.

Critics argue the policy could incentivize future land grabs, but Mayor Goyal counters that inclusivity is non-negotiable. “These families have contributed to Panchkula’s growth for years. Denying them basic rights is unjust,” he asserted. The PMC also plans to absorb four HSVP-managed ashiana complexes into its jurisdiction, ensuring timely maintenance of parks and roads.

For residents like 65-year-old Meena Devi, who moved to Beed-Ghaggar village in 1998, the decision ends decades of uncertainty. “Finally, we can live without fear of eviction,” she says, echoing the sentiment of thousands now poised to join Panchkula’s formal urban fabric.