1. Punjab Bye Laws
for Commercial Buildings

2. Punjab Bye Laws for commercial buildings
•Maximum permissible ground coverage is 40% in commercial.
•Height- Unlimited, if there is any airport in the district, then special permission is taken
from the Airport Authority of India.
•F.A.R.-1.75
•Parking- 3 E.C.S. / 100sq m. covered area on all the floors
•For open parking,1 E.C.S.-23 sq m.
•For stilt or ground floor parking,1 E.C.S.-28sq m.
•For basement parking,1 E.C.S.-32 sq m.
•Stilt & basement parking will not considered in F.A.R.
•Stilt floor’s height must not exceed 8’6” beyond the building block except in the set-backs
provided it is used for parking only.
•Multi level basement will be allowed behind the building in zoned area except
in set-backs provided it is proposed for parking purposes only and satisfy the
Public Health and Structural requirements.
•Parking grid in basements & stilt floors must be between 400-600 sq. feet.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-572, 573

3. Multiplex
•Multiplex complex shall mean an integrated entertainment and shopping
centre/complex having atleast three cinema halls with total minimum seating capacity of
1,000 seats, set up in an area of 4,000 Sq Yards or above but not be more than 3 acres
(Balance land can be used for parking and green belt) with minimum investment to the tune of
Rs.20.00 crore including the cost of land, if owned by the developer.However, investment on
items other than land would not be less than Rs. 15 crore. Apart from Cinema Halls the
entertainment area may have restaurant, fast food outlet, video games parlors, pubs, bowling
alleys, health spa/centers and other recreational activities. The shopping centre may have
retail outlets, showrooms, shopping mall, pharmacy etc.
•FAR of 2.0 shall be allowed for Multiplex sites.
•If at any stage, FAR is increased at any level after the auction of the site, proportionate
additional price shall be chargeable
•Maximum ground coverage shall be 40%.
•Direct access on a road not less than 80 ft. wide with a road frontage of not
less than 100 ft.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.- 567,582

4. Land Use
Multiplexes will be permitted on land earmarked for commercial use or cinemas in any
master plan or development plan prepared by the Punjab Urban Planning &
Development Authority (PUDA) or any local body. They will also be permitted on land on
which no land use restrictions are applicable under any law.
Provision of basement
The construction of double level basement shall be compulsory for parking and the
entire area of the basement shall be used for parking purposes only except the area
used for Air-conditioning plant and lift room which in no case shall exceed 10% of the
area. Basement shall be permitted only under the built up area at the ground level.
Parking
At present the norms of parking for multiplexes are @ 1ECS for 40 Sq. Yds. Of covered area
on all floors whereas as per NBC the norms for parking work out to be 1 ECS for 44 Square
Yards assuming that in a multiplex 60% area is used for commercial, 25% for cinema and
15% for food courts. After detailed deliberations considering the road network available in the
towns of Punjab and NBC provisions, it was decided that the existing norms in the Municipal
Building Byelaws for parking and other provisions of Multiplexes are in order and should be
retained as such.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-571,582

5. Filling Stations and Filling-cum-Service Station
o Theterm "Filling Station'' as used in this Guide refers to a place of retail
business engaged in the supplying and dispensing of Gasoline (Motor-fuel), and
Motor-oil essential for the normal operation of automobiles.
o The term "Filling-cum-Service Station" as used in this Guide refers to a place of
retail business engaged in supplying goods and services essential for the normal
operations of automobiles. These include dispensing Gasoline and Motor-oil; the
sale and service of tyres, batteries and other automobile accessories and
replacement items and washing and lubrication. They do not include body or
fender work, painting or other major motor repairs and over-hauling.
o Gasoline Filing Stations are not recommended in local shopping areas. In
Central Business Districts, they are preferably located on the fringes of the
centre or on the traffic routes to such centres at suitable locations along the
highway. In general Commercial areas they should be carefully located along
traffic routes.
oMinimum size for Filling-cum-Service Station and Filling Station shall be as per the
recommendations of TCPO and shall not be less than 30m X 30m in case of Filling
Station and 36 mX30m in case of Filling-cum-Service Station.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-352,353,358

6. Ground Coverage
oMaximum ground coverage permitted both under canopy and building
shall not exceed 35% of the total area of the site.
oMaximum area permitted to be covered under the building shall not
exceed 10% of the total area of the site.
oThe area of the canopy shall not be more than 25% of the total area of the
site.
oIn case of a main road provided along with a service road or a marginal access
road, the access to the station should be provided from the service or marginal
access road and not from the main road.
oIn case of a main road provided without a service road or a marginal access, its
minimum width must be 40’
oSiting of Stations on road curves or bends is a safety hazard and should be
avoided.
oThe minimum distance of the property line of the Filling Station from the Central
line of the road must not be less than 15.00 metres or half the proposed right-of-
way of the road, whichever, is more. In case of national highways, state highways
and major roads in urban areas they should be set back so as to be outside the
ultimate right-of-way of the highway along which it is to be located. However,
variations can be approved in special cases if allowed by the competent authority
after complete investigations.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-375, 354

7. oFor easy flow of vehicles into and out of the Station a minimum frontage of
30.00 metres shall be provided with wide and easy entrance and exit curbs.
Vehicles entering and leaving the Station should be fully visible to the traffic on the
main road and there should not be any obstruction to view between the Filling
Station Pumps and the road.
oThe station area should have clear sign-boards (‘IN' & E X I T' boards) properly
indicating the approach and exit from the premises and these should be installed
within the site without interfering with the right of way of the highway. These
sign boards should be provided with proper lighting arrangements in the night. Any
other sign boards or bill boards should also be stated within the premises without
distracting the traffic along the highway.
oAs a general rule, the clear distance between two adjacent fuel filling stations (these
will also include fuel filling-cum-service stations) should not be less than 300 metres.
oThere should be sufficient standing space inside the fuel filling station for vehicles to
wait for their turn. In order to reduce the number of waiting vehicles, it is desirable
to have oil. air. toilets etc. installed at some distance from the fuel filling pump so that
vehicles which have been refuelled can immediately be drawn away from the fuel
pump. There should be adequate drainage arrangements in the fuel filling station
so that the surface water does not flow over the road but is collected in
suitable drains and led away to a natural course.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-355,353,360,362.

8. Set Backs
oFront set back of the canopy shall not be less than 6 metres However, front
set back in case of building shall not be less than 10 metres from the front
boundary of the site.
oSide set backs in case of Canopy/Building shall not be less than 6 metres
when measured from the side boundary of the plot.
oRear set back of the canopy and building shall not be less than 4 metres.
oAll the distances in case of set backs mentioned above shall be reckoned
from the boundary of the site
Height
oThe maximum height permitted for canopy/building shall be restricted to
20 feet inclusive of the parapet.
oNumber of storeys permitted within the built up area shall not exceed one
oNo mezzanine or basement within or under the built up area shall be
permitted.
Boundary Wall
oHeight of the side and Rear boundary walls shall be restricted to 4 feet.
oNo boundary wall shall be constructed on the front.
Storage Tanks
oUnderground fuel storage tanks within the site shall be permitted provided
the minimum distance from the boundary wall shall be 1.5 metres in case
of tanks being buried in earth without any masonry pit around them.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-376,377

9. Hotel
oIt must have a minimum plot size of 5000 sq. mt.
oFrontage should be atleast 200 ft. minimum 80ft. wide road.
oIt should have a management tie up or franchise arrangement with National / International
hotel chain of repute having at least five hotels consisting of minimum of 50 rooms each in
India /abroad.
oThe land owner can have joint venture/Development agreement /revenue sharing
arrangement with the developer / Hotelier.
oF.A.R is allowed upto 3 ( 20-25% of this FAR can be used for commercial purposes)
oGround coverage upto 50%.
oParking -1 ECS per 100 sq. mt. of covered area.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-426,427

10. S.C.O./ S.C.F. bye laws
o 20’x 80” - includes a corridor of width 8’3” on front & rear side.
o’16’6”x 75 - includes a corridor of width 8’3” on front side only.
o16’6” x 66’ - includes a corridor of width 8’3” on front side only.
oNumber of stories allowed – 4.
oMaximum height of building-48’ 6”.
o1 basement is allowed.
oProvision for air light and ventilation to be made @ 10% of the basement area.
o Area of the basement not to be counted towards FAR.
o Basement shall have a clear height of 7’-6” from floor to sofit to the beam and height of
ceiling shall not exceed 8’-3”.
o 10% of the basement area shall be permitted for depression for installation of AC plants.
However, no generator shall be permitted to be installed in the basement.
Booths bye laws
o10’x 30’ - includes a corridor of width 7’ on front side only.
o8’3” x 24’9” - includes a corridor of width 7’ on front side only.
oNumber of stories allowed – 1.
oMaximum height of building-12’.
o1 basement is allowed.
oProvision for air light and ventilation to be made @ 5% of the basement area.
o Area of the basement not to be counted towards FAR.
o Basement shall have a clear height of 7’-6” from floor to sofit to the beam and height of
ceiling shall not exceed 8’-3”.
o 10% of the basement area shall be permitted for depression for installation of AC plants.
However, no generator shall be permitted to be installed in the basement.
oThe shop’s width: depth ratio must be greater than 1:2.
Source- Policies in Punjab, page no.-433

11. Thank You