In a major relief to nearly 20,000 existing industrial units operating in non-conforming zones across Punjab, the state government has extended their exemption from the provisions of Section 79 of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995, until September 30, 2027. Ludhiana alone accounts for around 10,000 of these units.
The move aims to provide continuity to existing industrial operations in areas where their land use does not conform to approved master plans. The exemption provides specified existing industries relief from its provisions for the notified period, subject to the conditions laid down by the government. The protest was led by Jaswinder Singh Thukral, president of the Janta Nagar Small Scale Manufacturers Association.
The government cited the fact that the notified master plans had either been completed or were nearing 15 years since their notification as the basis for extending the relief. Section 79 of the 1995 Act forms part of the legal framework governing land use and development under the state’s planning system. Meanwhile, industrialists in Ludhiana staged a protest on Thursday over the expiry of the earlier exemption, raising concerns about the future of nearly 10,000 industrial units operating across 72 mixed land-use (MLU) areas in the city.
