Pvt land owners can now develop land in conformity to Master Plan

Good news awaits the private land owners in the national Capital.  In a bid to facilitate planned development of private land in the Capital, a notification has been issued by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) enabling private land owners to develop their land holdings in conformity to the land use as per the Master Plan for Delhi with existing development control norms.  The notification has been issued following the directions of the Ministry of Urban and Housing Affairs.

This is the first time that policy for private land owners has been formulated in Delhi. This will enable civic agencies to provide basic amenities including roads, sewerage, schools and other basic infrastructure services on land owned by private persons as per Master Plan for Delhi 2021.

Sources in the Ministry said that the policy will be applicable on the private land pockets which have been left over from the planned development, which could not be acquired, land pockets for which acquisition proceedings have been quashed by the courts, where acquisition lapsed as per Sub-Section 2, section 24 of new Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

“To meet the growing demand of housing, the need of private participation is growing.  To undertake development of the city, private partnerships are much needed. The new policy on private land owners will help the government and civic agencies to provide infrastructure as per the Master Plan of Delhi,” officials said.  “The new norms will encourage public private participation in housing sector,” officials added.

“This policy shall not be applicable on the areas falling in 'Zone O', covered under water bodies, land pockets falling under ridge, Regional Park, Reserved Forest Areas, Monument Regulated Zones, Lal Dora / Extended Lal Dora, disputed lands and land parcels which are already eligible for land pooling,” the notification said.

It was envisaged as a public sector led process with very little private participation in terms of development of both, shelter and infrastructure services.

“There is paradigm shift from land acquisition to requirement of private participation in the assembly and development process. To bring forward this reform, a policy has been formulated to enable the Planned Development of Privately Owned Lands such as private land pockets which have been left over from the planned development, whichcould not be acquired, land pockets for which acquisition proceedings have been quashed by the courts,” it said.