(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other State law for the time being in force in the State of Punjab, any judgement, decree or order of any court or other authority to the contrary, any rules, regulations or bye laws made thereunder, the Government shall, within a period of six months from the commencement of this Act, take all possible measures to finalize norms, policy guidelines and feasible strategies to deal with the problem of unauthorized colonies with regard to the undermentioned categories, namely:-
(a) land use in contravention of the Master Plan of the area prepared under the provisions of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995;
(b) laid any unauthorized colony in contravention of the provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995;
(c) erected or re-erected unauthorized buildings in a colony in contravention with the provisions of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 or the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 or the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 or the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922 or any other law for the time being in force prior to commencement of this Act, shall be deemed to have been suspended and no further punitive action shall be taken during the aforesaid period of six months. However, after the expiry of period of six months, the prosecution proceedings shall be continued in the cases, which are pending in the competent court of law except in the cases where the offence has been compounded and plot or building, as the case may be, has been regularized by the competent authority under the aforesaid Act.
(2) All notices issued by any local authority for initiating action against the categories of unauthorized colonies referred to in sub-section (1), shall be deemed to have been suspended and no punitive action shall be taken during the said period of six months.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Government may, at any time before the expiry of six months, withdraw the exemption by notification in the Official Gazette in respect of one or more of the categories of unauthorized development mentioned in sub-section (1).