LAND POOLING POLICY
Land Pooling policy has Been Approved By The Ministry of Urban Development Vide S.O.No.- 2687(E), on 5th September 2013. The Policy Aims To Prevent , selling of land WithOut The Owner Consent.the Policy Assure Fundamental Changes in The Way of Acquisition and Development of land, in Delhi.
Land Pooling policy has Been Approved By The Ministry of Urban Development Vide S.O.No.- 2687(E), on 5th September 2013. The Policy Aims To Prevent , selling of land WithOut The Owner Consent.the Policy Assure Fundamental Changes in The Way of Acquisition and Development of land, in Delhi.
How does it work?
The concept of land pooling is about developing urban fringes of a city in an efficient, sustainable and equitable manner. This method of land readjustment has been used across various parts of the world, including some Asian countries. It is often used when there is need for fresh land in an already populated area.
The idea behind land readjustment is to aggregate tiny rural land pieces into a large land parcel, develop necessary infrastructure through proper planning and return the reconstituted land to the owners. Some of this land parcel is sold to recover the cost of developing infrastructure and public spaces. The rest is returned to the owners.
In Delhi, land owners who will collectively offer 2-20 hectares of land will get 48% of the land back, andthose who offer more than 20 hectares will get 60% back. The rest of the land—52% and 40%, respectively—will be retained by DDA. It is expected that 20,000-25,000 hectares will be unlocked through this policy.
Although the land that will be returned to the original owners will be smaller in size, they will have access to infrastructure and services developed by the DDA.
These kinds of readjustment schemes are usually initiated by the municipal authority or the government, which demarcates the areas that are to be converted from agricultural to urban land use. Separate development plans are made for the areas as the plots may not always be adjoining each other. The infrastructure and services are financed by selling some of the plots within the area, often for commercial activities.
How does it help?
Land is scarce in most Indian cities, especially metros. However, there are various parts of cities that are not efficiently developed and land usage is also not optimum. Apart from this, there are parts of cities that are not properly connected to the other parts. Through a land pooling policy, these areas are redeveloped so that more housing is created to accommodate the ever-increasing urban population. In case of Delhi, if executed properly, the policy will lead to equitable distribution of land and also create more housing, especially for low-income households.
Publish guidelines for smart cities first
Delhi Development Authority plans to develop 20,000 hectares in Dwarka in southwest Delhi, Rohini and Narela in the northwest as smart cities equipped with uninterrupted power, water and wi-fi connectivity. But experts say that in the absence of a clear definition of what a smart city is, this may not be an easy task to accomplish.
Besides, these are pure greenfield developments – virgin land being developed with modern infrastructure cannot exist in isolation. The city needs to redevelop the unauthorised regularised colonies, equip them with basic facilities, say town planning experts.
“Our plan is to develop 20,000 hectares under the pattern of a smart city. We have already appointed a consultant to advise us on the matter. A project management consultant will be appointed in the next three months. A memorandum of understanding will also be signed with Barcelona City. Subsequently, both the PMC and technical advisers from Barcelona will work in tandem to develop these cities,” reveals Balvinder Kumar, VC, DDA.
