The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Land reclassification helps development in suburbs

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Friday, Sep 26, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Land reclassification helps development in suburbs

K. Lakshmi and T. Madhavan

More applications filed every month seeking plot approval

Applications received mainly from Puthagaram, Surapet, Kadirvedu
Residents want cut off date extended

CHENNAI: Several areas falling under various panchayats on the fringes of the city are, of late, witnessing an increase in development, in terms of plot approval and housing. This is owing to land reclassification from ‘agriculture use zone’ to ‘primary residential use’ zone as per a government ordinance that notified the second master plan early this month.

In Puzhal Panchayat Union, at least 30 applications are received every month for plot or building plan approval. Panchayat union officials said that there has been a slight increase in the number of applications received after the recent Government Order.

Most of the applications for building plan or layout approval were received mainly from Puthagaram, Surapet, and Kadirvedu that are fast developing areas close to the city. However, not all applicants were able to get approval for their plots or building plans as the reclassification of land use restricted sanction to those plots regulated prior to December 31, 1989, an official said.

Residents of Puzhal said that though the real estate price had increased threefold in the past few years owing to the proximity to the city, several people who have purchased lands are unable to construct houses as their plot layouts have been formed after 1989. In Villivakkam Panchayat Union that also falls under Tiruvallur district, six of 22 panchayats, including Ayapakkam, Vanagaram, and Karambakkam, have agricultural lands waiting to be developed as housing plots. Officials said that most of the lands in other panchayats are classified as catchment areas. Only 20 per cent of the applicants benefited from the ordinance as most of the layouts have been formed after 1989.

M. Murugan, Pallikaranai Residents’ Welfare Association secretary, said the cut-off date for regularisation of plot in unapproved lay out to be extended from December 31, 1989 to 2005 so that local bodies could regularise the plot and unauthorised buildings and provide basic amenities in those areas.

Moreover, building approval may also be given to unauthorised layouts formed on government poromboke land measuring about 600 square feet, he added.

Puzhal Panchayat Union officials said that a proposal for extension of cut-off date for regularisation of plots in unapproved layouts made after 1989 was also sent to the government by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.

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