Land Pooling Scheme on the Anvil in Hyderabad
Hyderabad is set to have a pilot project for the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) move that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) would venture into for an area covering 250-300 acres. The project area would be in the surrounding areas of the Outer ring road as well as on both sides of the Growth Corridor areas. Guidelines and clarifications regarding the scheme would be explained by the HMDA authorities to those interested at a second pre-expression of interest (EOI) meeting. Land owners interested in this scheme will be able to express their interest to the Metropolitan Commissioner of HMDA by September 16th, in a particular format prescribed by the authority. The details of the scheme can be accessed on the website of HMDA.
Process involved in LPS:
As part of LPS, the assembling of parcels of land belonging to different land owners along a particular stretch which the authority plans to develop for public utilities is carried out. Following this process, these parcels of assembled land are suitably developed by the authority in a planned manner with the necessary infrastructure in place. The developed land is then returned to the land owners after some piece of land that is needed by the authority for facilitating the infrastructure development in the area is demarcated and bought from the land owners at a price that the developed land would command, deducting the cost incurred by the authority in the land development activity.
Benefits of the scheme:
The land owners, mostly farmers, or investors in land, would stand to gain in this process as the land that will be re-allotted to them after the demarcation would command a higher value with better accessibility and infrastructure facilities. As a result, the land owners will indirectly become partners in the development process of that area. The scheme being a self-financing one, can be successfully implemented with the willingness of a majority of land owners as mentioned in the guidelines of the scheme. This scheme is intended to promote efficient, sustainable and equitable development especially in urban areas, particularly the fringes as per a prepared master plan. It provides a feasible mechanism for the authority for pooling of land which can be employed for development activities in peripheral areas so as to extend the spread of the urban expanse.
Purposes and implications:
There are various purposes for which land owners could contribute their land that can be pooled for a common public project that the development authority would undertake. While some of the land that comes under the purview of the project area belongs to the government, similar pieces of land owned by private owners would need to be obtained if the project can be implemented effectively. Some of the projects for which land will be required as part of this scheme are for road widening activities and other infrastructure development activities, including developing of public amenities. In the bargain, the land owners who had parted with portions of their land will be adequately compensated by way of their remaining land having a higher value, better access due to good approach roads, improved public and infrastructure facilities like water supply, street lighting, public transport, shopping facilities etc. Thereby, they will also be assured of their means of livelihood, even after parting with a portion of their land.
