Punjab all set to acquire 6,285 acres to develop 9 new sectors in Mohali

In a major push for urban development, the Punjab Government has given the nod to acquire 6,285 acres of land to develop nine new sectors and complete the pending development in five already developed sectors in Mohali.

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The development assumes significance as this will be the first acquisition under the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP regime’s new flagship land pooling scheme notified on June 4.

The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) will develop new sectors 84, 87, 103, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124 and part of 101. Besides, the left-out areas of Sector 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80 will also be developed under the government plan.

Sharing details, GMADA Chief Administrator Vishesh Sarangal told The Tribune on Monday that the land would be acquired within four to six months under the new land pooling scheme, which otherwise would have taken two years under the old Land Acquisition Act.

He disclosed that Sector 84 would be developed as an institutional area, Sector 87 as commercial, Sector 101 and 103 as industrial while all other — Sector 120 to 124 and Sector 76 to 80 — would be developed as residential pockets.

While 3,535 acres of land will be acquired from Block E to J of the already developed Aerotropolis township spanning over 5,500 acres close to the Chandigarh international airport in Mohali, 1,890 acres will be acquired in Sector 120 to 124 and 859.89 acres will be acquired in Sector 84, 87, 101 (part), 103 and missing areas of Sector 76 to 80.

“This will be one of the biggest land acquisitions, which will reshape Mohali’s urban landscape,” Sarangal said, while confirming that no formal name had yet been given to the new development scheme.

The new land pooling scheme, under which the acquisition will be done, entails developed sites to farmers against taking their undeveloped/agricultural land. The benefits will differ sector-wise.

For each acre of land acquired for the residential sector, the owner will get a developed 1,000 sq yard residential plot and 200 sq yard developed commercial site (apart from parking space). The industrial and institutional sectors will offer a developed 1,600 sq yard industrial plot against acquisition of each acre, while two SCO sites of 300 sq yards each and another SCO site of 200 sq yard will be given for acquiring each area in commercial/mixed land use sectors. For integrated industrial parks, each acre of acquisition will offer a 1,000 sq yard industrial plot, 300 sq yard residential plot and 100 sq yard commercial plot.

The landowners will be issued a “sahuliyat certificate” with a validity of two years for granting them exemption from stamp duty and providing them other advantages when they use the proceeds from developed plots acquired under the land pooling policy to purchase agricultural land.