Norms for returning CA sites to be made easy

The government would simplify the procedure for returning land, meant for parks and open spaces, to the original owners, Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said on Friday.

Replying to a discussion on the proposed amendments to the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, 2015, in the Assembly on Friday, he said, “Suitable amendments will be made to the bill to simplify the procedure of changing the land use and handing over the land, if the respective urban development authority (UDA) fails to acquire them fives years after the master plan was prepared.”

As per Section 69 of the Act, a UDA has to acquire the land earmarked in the master plan, for parks, open space, public and semi-public utilities, and for creating infrastructure relating to transport purposes, within five years. The acquisition has to be done as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (Central Act), the minister said.

If not, such land will go back to the original owners. The owners of such land should file a petition before the UDA urging it to change the land use so that he/she can use it, he added.

The Opposition MLAs, however, objected to this provision, demanding that the government make the change of land use automatic. The officials will unnecessarily harass people by this provision. He/she cannot use it unless the land use is changed, they argued.

The Assembly passed the bill without other changes. The bill also seeks to revise the controversial Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and make it attractive. Under the revised TDR, value of development rights has been increased to two times the total area acquired. The government has sought to link the revised TDR to the guidance value of land or building to prevent its misuse. The revised TDR applies to all city corporations.