The deadline for welcoming applications under the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) land pooling policy, which was previously January 24, has been extended to February 28.
A total of 7,262.88 hectares, from 6903 applications, has been registered till January 24, since 2019 when the window was first opened, a senior DDA official said on Tuesday.
The official further added that the registration portal is open for 104 villages, falling in zones K-1, L, N, P-1, P-II and J, and that a total of 331.9 hectares, from 271 applicants, had been registered for land pooling by various applicants since November 10, 2021.
“Till development takes place, the window for land pooling will be opened and closed periodically. We have identified close to 16 priority sectors falling under the zones L, N and P-II, which are beyond DDA’s projects in Rohini, Dwarka and Narela,” the senior official said. The official added that once the window closes, DDA will analyse and map the land parcels, as the eligibility criteria require that 70% of the land be within the sector.
The senior official stated that under the land pooling policy, DDA will act as a facilitator. “While 40% of the land will go to DDA and service-providing agencies for the development of infrastructure — roads, water etc; the remaining 60% of the land will go to the owners who could collaborate with developers to develop residential and commercial facilities,” the official said. Once all the development is completed, the land will be handed over to the corporation in charge of maintenance, the senior official further added.
Responding to the notion of just a few landowners coming forward for the land pooling scheme, the senior official said that while many were showing interest, a recurring challenge faced by the agency was that the old land records were not being updated by the Delhi government.
“This is because of the seizure of Delhi Land Reforms Act. Current owners of lands are unable to participate in the pooling because the land, as per records, is in the name of their forefathers. This is a hurdle which is causing delays, and the process of consolidation of records of a couple of villages beyond the Rohini zone has not been closed by the Delhi government,” the senior official said. He further added that five to six sectors around these villages would qualify for land pooling once the consolidation process was completed.
