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THEME PAPER

private sector in freeing land. agencies, coupled with its Keeping Away the Private
This is further compounded by inefficient use and abuse has sector
the lack of understanding on the further reduced the supply of From role of “sole suppliers”,
part of urban managers about land in the urban market. Land public agencies should become
the operational intricacies of the acquisition through legal 'facilitators' in making the urban
land market. The lack of clarity process, under the new Land housing market more efficient.
of land title and disputed land Acquisition Act of 2013, State should make all possible
ownership has further involving not only payment of efforts to remove existing
aggravated the issue. Parallel fair compensation for the land roadblocks, which hamper the
land market in the urban sector acquired but also rehabilitation efficient functioning of private
has been an outcome which is and rese lement of the sector in the domain of
beyond the control and ambit of landowner, has made improving supply of land and
any regulated system. The share acquisition process more housing in the urban areas.
of informal land market has complicated, cumbersome and
Outdated and Irrational
been increasing rapidly. As a cost intensive. This has
Planning Tools and Building
result, land available in urban rendered most of the
Rules
market remains un-serviced and Development Authorities
the city growth largely illegal. incapable of supplying adequate Planning tools including Master
This malaise can be squarely quantity of serviced land in the Plans and Development Plans
a ributed to the operational urban market at an affordable used for promoting planned
inefficiency of urban land price. development in urban areas
market, which has not been able Land as a tool for making Profit have emerged as the greatest
to ensure supply of right by Development Authorities hindrance in the smooth
quantum of serviced land at operation of land and housing
Using land for profits by
right place, at right time, at right market due to their rigidity,
Development Authorities has led
price and to right people. Recent inflexibility and exclusion of the
to limited supply of developed
trends of the land, being treated poor from the formal planning
land in the urban market. The
as a tradable commodity, and development process.
mechanism of disposing off the
making large upfront profit, Development controls and
land by way of public auction
have added a new dimension to building by-laws, providing low
has made land unaffordable
the land market and its floor area ratio, irrational
leading to exclusion of the poor
operation, making large tracts of population densities; restricting
from the legal process. Even
developed urban land remain height; ground coverage; floor
when land meant for urban poor
vacant and unused for number area norms etc have hampered
is released in the market, due to
of years with owners waiting to the optimum utilization of land.
wrong targeting, the upper
make large profit when land They would need to be
income groups acquire it.
prices would go up. reviewed, revised and redefined
Restricted supply of serviced to make the shelter for the poor,
Land Acquisition is a Challenge land coupled with its high cost- effective and affordable.
The capacity of the governments pricing has edged out the urban
Ignoring Potential Urban Lands
to intervene effectively in the poor from the urban market,
land market has been resulting in illegal occupation of In urban areas, large pockets of
considerably eroded. Limited public land in search for shelter. land remain locked under
availability of land with public unused industrial units,

April 2021 Volume 22 No. 1- SHELTER 7