Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, minister of Urban Development, approved the regulations for operationalisation of the DDA’s Land Pooling Policy, but with five amendments.
We see two final steps towards its realization:
Amendments:
a) Full utilization of approved FAR.
FAR 400 per cent for group housing to be applicable on net residential land which is exclusive of the 15 per cent FAR reserved for EWS housing. FAR for commercial buildings is 250 per cent.
b) Ensure timely development of Infrastructure
In case of any delay in completing external development, DDA will have to pay a penalty of 2 per cent of EDC per year for the first two years and 3 per cent of EDC per year thereafter to the DE (farmers/land owners) for any delay beyond the date of completion of the construction by DE or five years whichever is later till the external development works are completed.
c) Helping farmers in paying Development charges
Farmers who are willing to participate in land pooling but are unable to pay external development charges would be allowed to give up a part of the returnable residential land, i.e., they will get 35 per cent of the returnable residential land instead of 43 per cent. This option shall be exercised at the time of submission of applications for participation in land pooling.
d) Transparency in allotment of developed land
Transparency in allocation of the developed land to DE by DDA was one big concern area. To ensure this, DDA shall devise a computerized (algorithm based) system for prioritizing applications received for allocation of plots of returnable land.
e) Ensure mandatory housing for Economically weaker section
It will be mandatory for the DEs to undertake construction of houses for EWS which will be 15 per cent of the FAR over and above the maximum permissible residential FAR (400 per cent).