Chandigarh, Feb. 3 -- In a step aimed at strengthening neighbourhood-level healthcare infrastructure, the Haryana Council of Ministers on Monday approved a policy for setting up nursing homes in licensed residential plotted colonies across the state. The policy seeks to bridge existing healthcare gaps in emerging residential areas and ensure that residents have access to essential medical services within their vicinity, an official spokesperson said. The Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, decided that permission for establishing nursing homes will be granted on residential plots of licensed colonies throughout the state, subject to payment of requisite conversion charges. Such permission will be allowed only on residential plots owned by qualified doctors (allopathic/AYUSH) who possess a valid registration number with the Medical Council or AYUSH Council, are presently practicing, and are registered with the local branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). An affidavit to this effect will be mandatory along with the application. Maximum four nursing homes will be allowed in a sector and the minimum plot size for hyper and high potential zones has been fixed at 350 square yards, while for medium and low potential zones it will be 250 square yards. Such sites will be permitted only on service roads along sector or master roads, and permission will be granted exclusively on residential plots of licensed plotted colonies where all internal services have been laid and completion or part-completion certificates have been issued. Only one site will be allowed on service roads abutting or along sector-dividing roads, with a maximum of four such sites permitted in a sector. The prescribed fees for owners of residential plots based on the potential zone of the property include for hyper zone Rs.10,000 per sq. yard, high zone Rs.8,000 per sq yard, medium zone Rs.6,000 per sq yard, and low zone Rs.4,000 per sq yard. No other fees, including external development charges (EDC), will be applicable, the spokesperson said. The Haryana Cabinet approved a proposal of the town and country planning for revision of various statutory fees and charges prescribed under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Rules, 1976 and the Haryana Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Rules, 1965. The Cabinet decision paves the way for amending the relevant schedules of both sets of act/rules to rationalise and update the existing fee structure in line with present-day economic and urban development requirements. "Most of these fees and charges had not been revised for several years, making revision necessary to ensure adequate revenue generation for urban infrastructure and to keep pace with rising development costs," an official spokesperson said. The Cabinet approved amendments to the Haryana Enterprises and Employment Policy (HEEP)-2020 and 16 associated incentive schemes, marking a major step towards facilitating existing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. The decision is in line with the announcement made in the Budget 2025-26 and aims to resolve long-standing challenges faced by industrial units operating outside notified industrial areas. The Cabinet has approved a provision for exemption from Change of Land Use (CLU)/No Objection Certificate (NOC) for existing industrial units that meet specified conditions. Under this provision, at least 50 entrepreneurs whose units are located on a minimum of 10 acres of contiguous land can collectively apply through a designated government portal for regularisation. These units must have commenced commercial production before January 1, 2021. Until a final decision on their application is taken, such units will be treated as provisionally regularised for the purpose of availing benefits under various government schemes....