Centre nod for land pooling policy, to be notified in a few days
BOOST DDA starts changing zonal plans for implementation of policy, ‘public awareness campaign’ from early next year
NEWDELHI: The Union ministry of housing and urban affairs approved the land pooling policy for planned development in Delhi’s urban extensions to meet the city’s growing housing requirements. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has started work on amending zonal plans for the implementation of the policy and plans to start the public awareness campaign early next year.
The policy was sent to the ministry for approval last month after it was approved in the DDA meeting chaired by Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal.
“I have signed the policy,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, Union minister of state (independent charge) housing and urban affairs.
According to a senior ministry official, the gazette notification for the implementation of the policy will be issued in a few days.
The policy is expected to benefit farmers and provide for nearly 17 lakh dwelling units in Delhi’s urban extensions.
In order to inform farmers, who will have to pool-in their land parcels, about the policy’s benefits DDA plans to launch a public awareness campaign.
“We will hire a consultant to help us plan a public awareness campaign which will start from early next year. The idea is to reach out to the farmers and tell them about the policy and how they can benefit from it,” said a senior DDA official aware of the development.
With the help of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the l and-owning agency is reworking zonal plans to earmark land parcels which will come to DDA after the implementation of the policy.
Under the policy, 40% of the The policy is aimed at ensuring planned developed in the city to meet the housing demand. Under this, land parcels owned by individuals or groups will be consolidated and developed in a planned manner.
95 villages such as Najafgarh, Chhawla, Dichaon Kalan, Nangli Sakrawat, Alipur, Bhalaswa, Ladpur Jahangirpur and many other areas in North and
West Delhi
pooled landed will be earmarked for essential services and development of civic infrastructure. Various service providing agencies will take up the development of parks, roads, social infrastructure etc, in a time-bound manner.
“We have to earmark the land for civic and social infrastructure which will be developed by government agencies. The locations have to be strategically decided. These changes will be made in the zonal plans,” the official, who did not wish to be identified, said.
The official said the implementation of the policy will be done through a single window system. For this, DDA will hire a consultant.
“It will take around 6-8 months to implement the policy,” said the official. Minimum 2 hectares required Developer entity—an individual or group with minimum 2 hectares of land — will develop the pooled land Floor Area Ratio in residential units reduced from 400 (in the previous policy) to 200
DDA and service providing agencies will develop civic infrastructure, recreational and public/semi-public facilities on 40% of land; remaining 60% of the land will be utilised by the developer entity
The policy, which was first approved in 2013, will be implemented in 95 urbanised villages in the city.
Last year, the land-owning agency has roped in the NIUA to review the policy. The NIUA had recommended major changes in the policy based on the ground situation, availability of resources and other factors.
Under the revised policy the developer entity will get 60% of the total pooled land of which 53% will be used for residential; 5% for commercial and 2% for public and semi-public facility.
DDA and other service providers will get 40% of the land for developing civic infrastructure. A sector will be considered for land pooling “once 70% contiguous land is available”.