“The developer and landowner negotiate their respective shares in the township development in Haryana, a one-of-its- kind approach in the country,” shares T. L. Satyaprakash (IAS), Director General & Secretary, Town & Country Planning Department and Secretary to Government of Haryana, Director General, Urban Local Bodies Department, & CEO of Drone Imaging and Information Service of Haryana Limited (Drishya), in an exclusive interview with Priya Yadav, Associate Editor of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited Excerpts:
What are the three initiatives that Haryana has taken that other states can emulate?
Haryana has adopted a unique township policy where landowners and developers collaborate. In this collaboration, the landowner receives a predetermined share based on mutual agreement. The developer and landowner negotiate their respective shares in the township policy. This approach is unique to Haryana and has both its pros and cons. It also ensures a market equilibrium, especially concerning pricing.
We also have an affordable housing policy that was introduced around 2013-14 as initially it was challenging to find anything for one crore rupee in certain areas. However, today, people can purchase affordable houses for 25 to 30 lakhs rupees. These houses are approximately 600 square feet in size. This policy targeted large land areas and catered to different market segments. For instance, there’s a segment that prefers houses priced between one crore to 1.25 crores, which is addressed by the affordable plotted colony. Another segment looks for homes priced between 30 to 40 lakh rupees, which is catered to by the affordable group house.
Also, transferable development rights, or TDR, is a concept where a landowner provides land for free for public purposes like roads or hospitals. In return, they receive rights to use or sell their land elsewhere. We’re also in the process of launching an online portal for this.
How soon can we expect this online portal to be launched? Is this online portal concept prevalent in other parts of the country?
It’s in the pipeline. We anticipate its launch anytime between 15 days to one month. While TDR is practised in other regions, an online portal specifically for it is quite rare.
Are there any best practices from other states that you believe Haryana should adopt?
Every state has its unique challenges and strengths. It’s like comparing two children with different talents. Our market ecosystem is distinct from others. Haryana has been proactive in introducing policies as per market demands. For instance, when the real estate sector faced challenges between 2014 and 2021, the government stepped in to support it. However, one area we’re considering is the introduction of a land pooling policy at the developmental land level, given the challenges in land acquisition.
There is news about a new app the government has introduced to track illegal colonies. Can you tell us more about it?
It’s in the pipeline. We anticipate its launch anytime between 15 days to one month. While TDR is practised in other regions, an online portal specifically for it is quite rare.
Are there any best practices from other states that you believe Haryana should adopt?
Yes, we’ve initiated this in three or four districts. The goal is to expand its implementation more widely. It’s proven to be extremely effective. With this app, we can detect new structures from a height of about 80 meters. It is definitely going to produce an effective result.
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