DDA to Inform Changes in Land Pooling Policy
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will soon notify changes in the land pooling policy, which was notified in 2018, such as provisions for plotted development, transferable development rights etc. in areas where land pooling will be implemented. The proposed modifications were put up for public scrutiny in May and last week, and DDA held a public hearing on it. We will soon finalise the recommendations based on the public hearing and table it in the authority meeting next month. Once approved, it will be sent to the Union housing and urban affairs ministry for final notification. The land pooling policy is aimed at meeting the growing housing demand by providing close to 17 lakh dwelling units in 95 urbanised villages located in urban extension of the city.The land-owning agency, which has got hundreds of land owners agreeing to pool over 6,500 hectares of land under the policy so far, plans to develop 15 priority sectors in three planning zones N, P-II and L (near Rohini, Alipur and Bakkarwala respectively). To make these sectors operational, some changes have been made in the policy. Till now, only group housing complexes were allowed in land pooling areas for residential development. We have now allowed plotted development as well. For plotted development, the minimum area has to be 5,000 sq.m and the size of plots will range between 100- 300 sq.m. The draft Master Plan of Delhi-2041 has provision for heritage transferable development rights (Heritage TDR) which allows owners of heritage property owners to sell unutilised Floor Area Ratio of their property (which is calculated by deducting the existing FAR of the property from the FAR allowed in the area for the type of land use). All plots, except plotted housing, will be allowed to utilise TDR up to a maximum of 10% of the permissible FAR of the plot in land pooling area. But TDR can be used only in TDR receiving areas which DDA will identify. The land owning agency will come up with regulations for the use of TDR. The DDA plans to set up a portal to facilitate the sale and purchase of TDR. DDA has modified the development control norms for land pooling areas making it mandatory for developer entities to provide walking and cycling networks. It has made it mandatory for all commercial, industrial, public and semi-public plots and vertical-mix plots located on 24m or more wide roads to have active frontages.