HYDERABAD: With thousands of Layout Regularization Scheme (LRS) applications pending and requests pouring in from public and civic bodies seeking extension of deadline, the municipal administration department has extended the last date for clearing LRS applications from February 28 to March 31.Municipal administration department principal secretary, Arvind Kumar, issued orders to the effect on Wednesday. He said various municipal departments such as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Kakatiya Urban Development Authority and other urban local bodies have processed the pending LRS applications on a priority basis and scrutinized many applications. In some cases, intimation letters were issued to applicants for payment of balance LRS charges and submission of documents. Since the process is yet to be completed, they sought an extension of the deadline.
HMDA received 1.75 lakh applications, GHMC received 71,793 applications from plot owners to regularize their open plots in unauthorized layouts. The municipal administration received applications between 2015-2016 to regularize plots in illegal layouts that were developed without permission from civic bodies.
HMDA rejected nearly 70,000 LRS applications. According to the state government orders, plots in lake beds, open spaces such as parks, residential plots in manufacturing, recreational zone and other master plan usages cannot be regularised. In some rejected cases, people sought regularization of plots that came up on government land and assigned land without proper ownership documents. "With many applicants coming forward to regularize their plots, it was felt that more time is required to dispose pending applications. The government decided to extend the time up to March 31 for disposal of LRS applications," Arvind Kumar said.
