Chandigarh villages to be developed on pattern of sectors, says Administration

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, June 1

For the comprehensive development of erstwhile villages, the UT Administration has decided to re-engage the consultant to prepare a land pooling and aggregation policy.

The Administration had roped in the Indian Institute for Human Settlement (IIHS), Bengaluru, as the consultant to help the UT utilise surplus land for development works in the villages.

The consultant had already presented a draft policy for aggregation of land for villages and peri-urban areas in Chandigarh, after studying the “best practices” in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

UT Adviser Dharam Pal said the MoU signed with the consultant had expired and now, directions had been issued to re-engage the institute as it was already working on the policy.

Being a landlocked city, the situation is far more complicated in Chandigarh as large chunks of vacant land are not available in villages unlike neighbouring districts of Panchkula and Mohali and a lot of construction has already taken place outside the ‘lal dora’. Besides, nothing can be done in the green area as per the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031.

An official said as the development had to be restricted to certain areas being used for commercial and residential purposes, resettlement options could be given to people under the land pooling policy.

The policy aims at bringing overall development to the villages, which were merged with the Municipal Corporation (MC), on the pattern of sectors. At a meeting of the MC House, councillors had passed a resolution and had asked the Administration to bring a land pooling policy for the erstwhile villages.

The Administration plans to implement the policy in a village on a pilot basis for the development of the available land. After the success of the pilot project, the land pooling policy would be implemented in other villages, said the official.

Adviserspeak

UT Adviser Dharam Pal said the MoU signed with the consultant had expired and now, directions had been issued to re-engage the Indian Institute for Human Settlement, Bengaluru, as it was already working on the policy.

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