TOBA TEK SINGH, Nov 11: Dwellers of kutcha abadis, whose lands have already been transferred to municipal or town committees, can get their proprietary rights before Dec 31 without paying any surcharge.

This was disclosed by Federation of Kutcha Abadis Punjab president, Haji Zafar Iqbal Jatala, in a press conference here on Sunday.

He warned if local body officials refused to give proprietary rights to dwellers, his federation would ask Punjab Kutcha Abadis director-general to take stern action against them.

He said Rs172 per marla was the rate of obtaining proprietary rights, but after Dec 31 dwellers would have to pay the market price value of March 23, 1985, along with the surcharge.

Widows and disabled persons would pay only Rs125 per marla, he said.

Dwellers of kutcha abadis set up before or after March 23, 1985, could also apply for their enlistment under new rules, he said.

Meanwhile, “dwellers who reside in kutcha abadis which were set up before March 23, 1985, on the Railway land, have also been issued NOCs with some conditions”, he said.

The Punjab government exempted dwellers of those kutcha abadis from the property tax who had less than five marlas of land, he added.