Owners of marriage palaces asked to pay regularisation fee

Urban Development Authorities in Punjab today asked owners of marriage palaces to immediately deposit fee for regularisation of their palaces, failing which necessary action would be taken against them.
Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) have directed all defaulting marriage palaces owners to deposit requisite amount indicated in demand notices issued to them otherwise action would be taken accordingly, an official spokesman said.
He said in some cases the owners have not deposited necessary fees and they were served notices to make payment of regularisation fees.
Giving details, he said state government on the directions of Punjab and Haryana High Court had notified policy guidelines and building norms for regularisation of existing marriage palaces and setting up of new marriage palaces within and outside the municipal limits of cities/towns to regulate their "mushrooming" growth in the state.

"Under this policy the owners who applied for regularisation of their marriage palaces/resorts were issued demand notices," he said.
He said the development authorities could withdraw change of land use (CLU) granted to marriage palaces owners without any notice if they failed to deposit the fee with the country and town-planning department.

He further informed that GMADA had directed the concerned authorities to seal marriage palaces, which have not deposited their CLU related charges in three districts - Roopnagar, SAS Nagar and Fathegarh Sahib.
He said out of total 97 marriage palaces in these districts, 53 have already been issued CLUs whereas 11 cases were under process.

"Action will be initiated against seven palaces for not making payments," he said.