House map approval in Punjab

Inside town limits, online on the Local Government Department's mSeva portal (mseva.lgpunjab.gov.in), which the department calls its upgraded eNaksha. eNaksha stopped taking new building plans, including self-certified ones, on 1 September 2026; files sent before then are still processed there until the old portal closes to municipal staff and professionals after 15 November 2026. On 22 October 2026 engineers in Jalandhar reported that mSeva files were stuck because officers had no log-ins yet, so allow extra time. In a development authority's sector, apply to PUDA or the special authority for the area; GMADA's page points to PUDA's portal, puda.gov.in.

Yes, in two cases. In a municipal area, the bye-laws let an architect empanelled with the municipality certify the plan for a house on a plot of up to 500 sq m and up to 15 m high, or 17.5 m with a 2.5 m stilt; the architect issues the permit, the municipality stamps a copy after checking the empanelment and fee, and the architect reports at each stage. The Tribune reported in February 2024 that officials must check such plans within 10 days, after which work can start. In a development authority's approved layout, the rules amended on 14 July 2026 let an empanelled architect self-certify any building up to 21 m, and the plan counts as approved if no objection comes within 7 days.

In a municipal area, the bye-laws allow 15 m on a residential plot, not counting the parapet, water tank and mumty, and the self-certification route covers houses up to 15 m, or 17.5 m with a 2.5 m stilt for parking. More than one home per floor is allowed if coverage, floor area and height stay within the limits. Stilt plus four floors is not available: the Unified Building Rules 2025 allowed it, but they were withdrawn on 27 April 2026 after the High Court stayed key provisions. In a development authority's sector, the zoning plan and the 2021 rules set the height, so check with the authority.

Inside the village abadi, the area within its lal lakir or phirni, the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act 1995 needs no permission, and the 2021 building rules do not apply there. The Panchayati Raj Act 1994 lets the gram panchayat regulate new buildings in the abadi by general order, so ask the gram panchayat. Outside the abadi, once a master plan is in force, any new building needs written permission unless it is for farming on land the plan keeps for farming. A village that now lies inside municipal limits follows the municipal bye-laws.

In a municipal area, the owner signs with either an architect registered with the Council of Architecture, who may sign plans for any building, or a graduate civil engineer who is a member of the Institution of Engineers (India), who may sign plans for plots up to 500 sq m and do structural drawings up to five storeys or 16 m. Self-certification needs an architect empanelled with the municipality or the development authority. GMADA asks for drawings signed by a Council of Architecture-registered architect.

The municipal bye-laws give 30 days for a residential plot and 60 days for other buildings, counted from a complete application. If no decision comes, you give a further 15 days' notice and the plan is deemed sanctioned, but only on a plot in an approved layout. After you report the plinth, the municipality has 15 days to object. A sanction is valid for three years for a building up to 15 m and four years above that, two years for additions, and revalidation costs a quarter of the scrutiny fee. Fees are fixed by the government. Development authorities give 30 working days for residential plots.

In a city, the Commissioner can stop the work, have the police remove the workers and, after a show-cause notice, order the building demolished within a set period of at least three days; you can appeal to the District Judge, and if you do not comply the corporation demolishes it and recovers the cost. The Act's penalty table lists a fine of up to ₹5,000 plus up to ₹100 a day. Under the bye-laws a front-setback violation can never be compounded, while extra ground coverage of up to 5% can be. In a development authority area, the Chief Administrator can order alteration or demolition at your cost, and building against a master plan can bring up to three years in jail or a fine of up to ₹10,000, plus up to ₹1,000 a day.