The Chandigarh administration has urged Bengaluru's Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) to submit a revised draft policy on village development, regularisation of illegal structures, and extension of lal dora. Recently, after a meeting with a representative of the Bengaluru-based consultant, the decision was taken. The institute, which was designated to study and propose solutions to the problem, made a presentation and submitted a draft policy. They had recommended some changes, and the institute was urged to submit a revised draft policy accordingly. Besides, the village-wise proposal made by departments would be combined with the overall city's development plan, said UT adviser Dharam Pal. He said as it was the first draft, views and suggestions of several department heads were taken in the meeting. Real estate regulatory authority (RERA) provision and other related acts would also be part of the revised draft policy. After former UT administrator, V P Singh Badnore instructed senior officials to work on such construction's regularisation in January, the move was initiated. The lal dora divides village habitation from adjoining agricultural land. Some villagers had also started new constructions outside lal dora, expecting it would be regularised, after Badnore’s instructions. However, the UT estate office team and land acquisition department team had destroyed new constructions. Consistently, political parties and village people have been asking for the lal dora extension and the regularisation of developments outside it. Meanwhile, city heritage conservationists and architects are requiring the elimination of illegal constructions to preserve the city’s character. For taking constructions outside lal dora in villages in the past, the UT estate office had also issued notices. Chandigarh administration had issued a notification. The administration had even explained that the area outside the aabadi area of freshly merged 13 villages would continue to be managed by the Punjab New Capital Control Act, 1952, as applicable to Chandigarh. The draft master plan of Chandigarh, 2031, showed that unauthorised constructions had come up beyond 250 acres outside the lal dora. Image Source