CHANDIGARH, Dec 18 — Punjab has formally notified unified building bylaws allowing stilt-plus-four-floor residential buildings in newly constructed urban colonies, while limiting taller construction in existing areas, officials said Thursday.
The rules, approved by the Punjab Cabinet on Oct. 28, apply to new licensed colonies and sectors in urban estates. In these areas, plots measuring up to 200 square yards may be developed on roads at least 30 feet wide, while larger plots will require roads with a minimum width of 40 feet.
“The decision balances housing demand with infrastructure capacity,” an official said. “New colonies are better equipped to handle higher density compared to older, congested areas.”
In existing and planned urban neighborhoods, property owners will be allowed to construct only stilt-plus-three floors. The permissible building height in such areas has been revised upward from 11 meters to 13 meters.
Officials said the notification clears the path for enforcing the Apartment Act in Punjab, which would allow the sale of individual floors within residential buildings. Currently, buyers cannot purchase separate floors because subdivision of land is prohibited.
The proposal had initially envisaged stilt-plus-four floors in all urban areas, but the government scaled it back after consultations with architects and planners. Authorities said restricting the provision to new developments would prevent pressure on civic amenities.
Urban planning experts, however, have raised concerns. “Even in new colonies, higher floors must be matched with strict parking norms and service planning,” a town planner said, cautioning against unchecked densification.
The new bylaws are expected to influence residential construction patterns in major cities, including Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar.
