New land pooling regulations for Delhi unveiled

NEW DELHI, May 26: The government today unveiled new regulations in the Land Pooling Policy in Delhi, making some changes in norms, including one by which farmers can cede a part of their land for development with option of getting it back. The Land Pooling Policy of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was approved by the Union Urban Development Ministry to ensure timely external development of necessary infrastructure, help farmers who are unable to pay the development charges, ensure mandatory housing for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), transparency in allotment of returnable land and full utilisation of approved Floor Area Ratio (FAR), a senior ministry official said. In an effort to help farmers who do not have capacity to pay development charges, the policy gives an option of conceding a part of returnable land against development charges, the official said. 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. In such cases, they will get 35 percent of the returnable residential land instead of 43 percent. This option shall be exercised at the time of submission of applications for participation in land pooling, the official said. According to the amendment, since any delay in completion of development by Land Pooling Agency, DDA shall pay a penalty of 2 percent of External Development Charges (EDC) per year for the first two years and 3 percent of EDC per year thereafter to the Developer Entities (DE) (farmers/land owners) for delay beyond the date of completion of the construction by DE or five years whichever is later till the external development works are completed. This ensures external development by DDA in time, which has not been the case so far, the official said. Developer Entities (farmers/land owners participating in Land Pooling) shall mandatorily undertake construction of houses for EWS amounting to 15 percent FAR over and above the maximum permissible residential FAR (400 percent). The EWS housing will be constructed as an independent block. The Developer Entities shall ensure that entire FAR for residential purposes shall be utilised.