Land pooling: no progress on amendments proposed to DD Act

Certain tweaks made to the proposal that will benefit only select bunch, says Delhi BJP leader

Three months after an official announcement of proposed amendments to the Delhi Development Act, 1957, aimed at making land pooling mandatory in the Capital, no progress has been made on that front.

A senior Delhi BJP leader, who is familiar with the developments, told The Hindu that the proposed amendments are “unlikely” to be passed soon and added that certain tweaks have been made to the proposal that will “benefit only a select bunch”.  

The proposed amendments — which were announced by Union Minister Hardeep Puri on March 8 — are aimed at eliminating roadblocks in the Delhi Development Authority’s land pooling policy, in which the urban body plays the role of a facilitator. 

The amendments, if passed, would make pooling of land mandatory even for those land owners who have not expressed their interest in the scheme if the minimum participation of 70% is achieved in a sector. The amendments also propose granting of powers to the Centre to declare pooling of land mandatory even if the minimum participation rate is not achieved. 

Notified on two occasions,  in 2013 and 2018, the land pooling policy is aimed at providing 17 lakh dwelling units — including five lakh units for economically weaker sections — for a population of roughly 80 lakh people.

Currently, 104 villages, which have been divided into six zones and further divided into 129 sectors, have been identified for land pooling. The DDA had eecently issued conditional notices for the formation of consortiums in three high-priority sectors falling under zones- N and P-II.  However, development works are yet to start under the land pooling policy.