Introducing land pooling policy for development-Chandigarh administrator

UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit has asked the administration to utilise available vacant land in the city as per Master Plan-2031, leading it to now look to overcome the constraint of availability of land through introduction of a land pooling policy.

UT adviser Dharam Pal said Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Human Settlement has been entrusted with the task of formulating a land aggregation and pooling policy. This policy will help the administration to utilise surplus land for development works, which were planned as per the city’s Master Plan, he said.

Sources said the administration has asked different departments to submit details of their available, encroached land and accordingly a policy will be formed to utilise land. Most of the potential vacant land is locked in different pockets, predominantly in villages in the city’s periphery. A major chunk of this land is facing serious threat of encroachments and illegal constructions. To utilise the land, the administration is working on a development plan which will allow integration of villages in the sectoral plan of the city, sources added.

Recently, the UT administration had asked the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS) to submit revised draft policy on village development, regularisation of illegal structures and extension of lal dora.