Land pool off to slow start, DDA may push date

Land-owning agency plans help desks to help villagers to register for pooling scheme

NEW DELHI: After a muted response to its ambitious land pooling policy, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is likely to extend the cut-off date.

August 4 is presently the last date to apply under the scheme.

To set the policy in motion, the DDA plans to focus on a few sectors that will be developed on a pilot basis, where a substantial percentage of land has been registered. It also plans to set up help desks in some areas to assist villages to participate in the policy that is expected to benefit farmers and provide nearly 1.7 million dwelling units.

So far, nearly 1,000 hectares has been registered under the policy in areas such as Khanjhawla, Narela, Rohini, near Dwarka, Chhawla near Najafgarh among others.

But, DDA officials say the policy can’t be implemented in these areas as no sector in any of the five zones notified for land pooling meets the minimum criteria.

According to the policy, notified by the Union housing and urban affairs ministry last year, a sector will be considered for land pooling “once 70% contiguous land is available”.

“We will have to extend the cut-off date, as no sector meets the criteria to be eligible for land pooling. But the decision will be taken later, based on the number of registrations till July end. So far 1,100 landowners have registered for the policy,” said a senior DDA official.

Authority vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said, “The maximum registrations have happened in N zone. We have got 30-40% land registered in some sectors in this zone. We can’t develop all the areas together. We are setting up offices in areas from where we have got a good response.

Most villagers or landowners are facing problems in revenue-related matters. We will assist them in resolving issues.”

In order to inform farmers, who will have to pool in their land parcels, about the policy’s benefits, DDA will launch an awareness campaign in villages. The agency has made promotional videos.

Under the policy, 40% of the pooled landed will be earmarked for essential services and development of civic infrastructure. Service providing agencies will take up the development of parks, roads, social infrastructure, etc., in a time-bound manner. “The locations have to be strategically decided. These changes will be made in the zonal plans,” the official said.

Under the policy, the developer will get 60% of the total pooled land of which 53% will be used for residential; 5% for commercial and 2% for public and semi-public facilities. DDA and other service providers will get 40% of the land for developing civic infrastructure.

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