TDR proposals to get clearance in no time

PUNE, NOV 8: Taken aback by the inordinate delay in acquiring the plots reserved for various purposes, the Pune Municipal Corporation has...

PUNE, NOV 8: Taken aback by the inordinate delay in acquiring the plots reserved for various purposes, the Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to open “single window system” to sort out the proposals of the transfer of development rights (TDR).

According to officials, the decision on TDR proposals would be taken up within a week once the single window system becomes operational. Besides, the civic administration is also planning to relax rigid rules while sanctioning TDR proposals.

The decision was taken when it was brought to the notice of Municipal Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad that several TDR proposals had been pending with the civic administration, delaying the acquisition of the reserved plots. It was also argued that the administration had failed to provide various services which it was supposed to start on the reserved plots. In addition, several land owners have gone to court, challenging the administration’s decision on reservation following delay on part of the PMC “due to lack of funds.”

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The officials admit that the present administrative set up takes more than three months to decide on TDR proposals as the parties involved are required to submit various documents and papers, leading to uncalled for delay in the entire process. The sources said the officers, concerned with the TDR proposals will sit together once in a week and will clear all the proposals.

The sources said the PMC had sanctioned 81 TDR proposals after the development control rules were amended in June 1997. The PMC has so far acquired 2.18 lakh square meter land by sanctioning TDR proposals.

The decision to encourage TDR was also taken as the land owners have been favouring compensation from the PMC instead of TDR. This situation has arisen because of the fact that the rates of TDR have crashed in the recent past since it was amply available in the market. The civic officials point out that the rate for every square meter for TDR was Rs 550 when it was introduced two years back while it is Rs 350 at present.

The civic officials point out that the land owners prefer to get compensation as the civic administration was legally bound to make the payment as per the existing market rates. In the given situation, the amount of compensation is always higher than that of TDR, the officials said. The officials fear that the municipal corporation would face serious crisis if the present trend of compensation continued for a long time. The sources said, due to lack of funds the PMC would be forced to give up the reserved plots if land owners continue to insist on compensation instead of TDR. The officials said the administration has prepared a proposal, introducing relaxations in the existing TDR provisions, which is expected to be announced within a fortnight.