Rajasthan Allows Land Use Change in City Master Plan

Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department has framed new rules for allowing change of land use defined in the city master plans. But the owners have to pay administrative fees now. After the high court directed the state government that land use norms laid out in the master plans can only be changed in larger public interest, the department is now trying to follow them strictly. In the past, the department allegedly frequently changed land use rules to allow development of areas without adhering to the original master plans. UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal has approved the new rules that require land owners to pay an administrative charge for changing the purpose of land use. This is for the first time the charges will be imposed. The local bodies will have power to change the land use for an area between 3,000 sq mtr to 6,000 sq mtr. Cities in which master plans have not been implemented, the local bodies will have power to change the land use having an area between 400 sq mtr to 4,000 sq mtr. For agriculture land in cities, where master plans have been implemented, the matter will be decided by the state-level committee constituted for land use change. At present, rules framed in 2010 are followed. The new guidelines have been made for hassle-free land use change. An official said that in cases of residential land, UDH will allow activities including daycare centres, nurseries, schools, dispensaries, hostels, informal shops, restaurants, libraries, MSMEs and petrol pumps. In commercial land use, activities including hotels, marriage gardens, banks, cinema halls, multiplexes and others are allowed.