Make landowners partners in progress of Chandigarh: Bansal to Guv

Pawan Kumar Bansal, former Union Minister, has said that land owners of vacant plots in Chandigarh should be made partners in the development of the city.

In a letter to Gulab Chand Kataria, UT Administrator, Bansal said that approximately 2,500 acres is currently under cultivation or lying vacant beyond the inhabited area of the 22 villages integrated into the city’s Master Plan. As the Administration looks toward the future, the management of this land remains a pivotal issue for city’s balanced growth.

He said that while the Administration may intend to pursue direct acquisition, the fragmented nature of the vacant land presents a logistical challenge. Furthermore, the financial implications are significant. Given that compensation rates in neighboring Mohali, which has flourished largely due to its proximity to Chandigarh, (for projects such as Aerotropolis and Eco City-3) have reached approximately ?19 crore per acre, the total financial outlay for direct acquisition in Chandigarh may prove prohibitively high for the Administration.

In the light of these circumstances, Bansal has suggested a framework to balance the city’s further development with the welfare of its residents: Comprehensive land survey, flexible development options, direct acquisition, self-development and land pooling.

Highlighting the need of banquet halls (marriage palaces) and an India international centre, Bansal said that this partnership approach would not only serve the interests of all stakeholders, but also allow the Administration to address critical infrastructure needs.