[sustran] Detailed town planning scheme & land for road development

[Vinay Baindur]

*Date:16/12/2009* *URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/16/stories/2009121658670300.htm*
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Kerala <http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/16/25hdline.htm> - Kochi

* Incentives for surrendering land for road development *
Staff Reporter * Work on two roads will be completed in one month:
Mayor * — Photo: H. Vibhu

* VITAL LINK: Commissioning of the overbridge on the Thamannam-Pullepady
road will considerably reduce traffic congestion on arterial roads in the
city. *

KOCHI: A Detailed Town Planning (DTP) scheme for acquiring land and
implementing development activities on the Thamannam-Pullepady and
Goshree-Mamangalam roads will be implemented.

The scheme will be for developing 200 metres from the central median on both
flanks of the road. A survey for the project will begin on Wednesday and it
will be completed within one month, said Mayor Mercy Williams here on
Tuesday.

The Confederation of Indian Industries, Builders’ Association of India and
Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India will carry out
the survey and prepare the scheme, the Mayor told mediapersons.

The Thammanam road project will be implemented using financial support from
the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The civic body expects
the cooperation of agencies such as the Greater Cochin Development Authority
and Goshree Island Development Authority for the project, she said.

Once the DTP is cleared, the civic body will be able to provide incentives
to persons who part with land for development. Incentives such as allowing
increased Floor Area Ratio—the vertical development that can be carried out
on a plot—and relaxations in the building rules are under consideration.
This would prompt people to surrender land for the road project. The civic
body would also clear the building plans and issue other statutory permits
for these landowners in a time-bound manner, she said.

The corporation also proposes to provide development rights for those who
surrender land and this would ensure that the landowners who contribute land
for the project would get proportional economic benefits, said N. Anilkumar,
chairman of the Development Standing Committee.

A rehabilitation package for the possible evictees would also form part of
the scheme. The landowners will be given the transfer of development rights
as part of the scheme. Under the scheme, they could use the benefits and
relaxations in the building rules for any other property owned by them in
lieu of the land surrendered for the road project, he said.

The civic authorities hope to complete the project during the term of the
present council. There would be safeguards in the scheme against the
possibility of land being frozen indefinitely for the project as happened in
some road development schemes earlier, he said.

The government has, in principle, approved the scheme and various
development agencies would be cooperating with the project, he said.

The DTP scheme for the Goshree-Mamangalam road would be taken up after the
completion of the Thammanam-Pullepady scheme, said E.M. Sunilkumar, chairman
of the Town Planning Standing committee.

N.A. Mani, T.K. Shamsudheen and K.V. Manoj, chairpersons of the standing
committees, were also present at the press conference.