Chandigarh, Oct. 29 -- The Punjab cabinet on Tuesday gave a nod to the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2025 paving way for the construction of stilt-plus-flour floors in new urban sectors. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers held here under the chairmanship of chief minister Bhagwant Mann. "This construction will be allowed in the urban areas of the state with a plot size of 250 square yards or more in state government-developed and approved colonies," a government spokesperson said however, it is still to be ascertained whether the decision is applicable in the already existing urban pockets or it is for the upcoming colonies. A government spokesperson added that the rules aim to introduce a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework governing building and development activities across Punjab. "These rules apply equally to the department of housing and urban development and the department of local government, ensuring consistency and simplification in approvals and enforcement. The key reforms focus on ease of doing business, efficient land utilization, and vertical urban growth," the spokesperson added. This act stipulates raising the permissible height for low-rise buildings from 15m to 21m and enabling third-party self-certification for plan approval and completion. "The decision has limited the scrutiny for high-rise projects to essential safety parameters, reducing delays. It allows additional ground coverage and FAR (Floor Area Ratio) on a payment basis, and relaxing parking, setback, and open space norms," the spokesperson added. The statement from the government added that it also includes incorporating EWS, affordable, and rental housing provisions within a single unified framework by introducing new building categories such as mixed land use and multilevel parking, aligning with modern urban needs. Permitting wider balconies, basement use, car lifts, and exemptions from on-site STP where city-level facilities exist. Rationalising stamp duty on hypothecation of properties The cabinet also approved the rationalisation of stamp duty and registration fee on instruments of hypothecation and equitable mortgage by amending the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 (Punjab), and Registration Fee Rules. This step is aimed at reducing financial burden on industries. It also promotes ease of doing business and improves access to affordable credit. The cabinet also gave a nod for filling up 14 group-A, 16 group-B, and 80 group-C posts in the Punjab sports medical cadre to strengthen the sports medical support system across districts. It will also help in improving injury management, recovery, and performance of sportspersons, along with the promotion of scientific sports development and alignment with national standards. These professionals will be deployed in major sports districts such as Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, SAS Nagar, Ropar, and Hoshiarpur, where the concentration of players is higher. Land for ESI hospital In order to provide quality and affordable healthcare to employees working in factories and industrial units of Dera Bassi and nearby areas, the cabinet gave a nod to lease around four acres of land for setting up an ESI hospital with 10 beds in Dera Bassi. The cabinet also gave its approval to create the Ludhiana (north) sub-tehsil for improving administrative efficiency and public convenience in the urban areas of the district. It will facilitate quicker mutation and registry processing for high-density urban villages. It will also help in the decongestion of Ludhiana East and West tehsils. The cabinet also gave go go-ahead to upgrade the existing municipal council, Barnala, to a municipal corporation, enabling planned urban growth, improved civic infrastructure, and efficient governance for the rapidly expanding district headquarters city....