Punjab Govt Launches ‘Meri Dukan, Mere Naam’ Scheme to Give Ownership Rights to Long-Term Shopkeepers

In a Diwali initiative aimed at benefiting lakhs of shopkeepers and small traders across Punjab, the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led state government on Thursday launched the “Meri Dukan, Mere Naam” scheme to provide ownership rights to eligible shopkeepers operating from rented or leased shops under Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats.

Announcing the scheme at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains said shopkeepers who can establish legal possession of their shops for 12 years prior to April 1, 2020, will be eligible to apply for ownership rights.

Applications can be submitted at Municipal Corporation and Municipal Council offices up to November 6, 2026. Bains said the entire process would be time-bound.

An SDM-level committee will scrutinise the applications, while a DC-level committee will determine the applicable price. The concerned local body will subsequently pass the required resolution.

Under the concessional pricing structure for shops measuring less than 50 square metres, applicants in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category with annual income below Rs 3 lakh will have to pay 12.5 per cent of the applicable collector rate.

Applicants in the Lower Income Group (LIG), with annual income between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, will pay 25 per cent of the collector rate. Those in the Medium Income Group (MIG), earning between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 15 lakh, will pay 50 per cent, while applicants with annual income above Rs 15 lakh will pay 100 per cent of the collector rate.

Bains said the scheme would not cover sub-tenants. Occupants of parks, streets and public utility areas will also not be eligible for regularisation.

He said the documentation process had been kept simple, allowing applicants to submit valid documents such as GST certificates, electricity bills and voter cards as proof of possession.

“Previous governments made promises but could never deliver. Our officers and legal team have toiled day and night for months to turn this dream into reality,” Bains said, adding that traders had faced significant hardships, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This festive season, we want to wipe their worries away and give them the gift of happiness, security and rightful ownership,” he said.

Describing the scheme as a historic step, Bains said the government wanted every small shopkeeper to have legal security and confidence in running their business.