Govt to amend Town & Country Planning Act

Shimla, February 10
The government will make amendments in the Town and Country Planning Act to give relaxation in the minimum plot size so as to enable construction of houses on the small 2 biswa plots, especially in case of economically weaker sections of society.

This was stated by Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Sudhir Sharma during the Question Hour in the Assembly today. Replying to a query by Maheshwar Singh, he informed the House that the government was already in the process of making the amendments.

“The government is already seized of the matter that after leaving offset and space, it is not possible to construct a house on such small plots; so relaxation will be given to everyone except in Shimla,” he said. In Shimla, it is mandatory have a 200 sq m plot to construct a house.

Maheshwar had pointed out that in old towns like Kullu and Manali, it was impossible to construct a house on the minimum permissible limit plot size of 60 and 90 sq m if one was to have land on all four sides.
The minister further said a uniform rate of Rs 1,000 per sq m would be charged from all as compounding rate for regularisation of the houses which had been raised in violation of the TCP norms.

In reply to another query on the Timber Distribution Policy framed by the government, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri assured the House that there would be room for the possibility of providing wood at subsidised rates for development projects like schools and panchayat bhawans.

Maheshwar cited that earlier, TD wood was given at rates higher than for traditional right holder, but at less than commercial rate.
“The government must make a provision that TD wood is not given at commercial rate, but at less for development works,” he said.

The minister said the MLA should have filed objections during the one-month period when suggestions had been invited from the public. He said all such old rights would be restored.

http://www.indianrealtynews.com/other-city/govt-to-amend-town-country-planning-act.html