The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is considering deviating from its regulations on land deduction for urban planning schemes to assist select property owners in the Shahwadi-Behrampura area. The proposed town planning (TP) Scheme 32 would deduct only 25 percent of land from private plot owners, instead of the required 40 percent. This reduction would result in a smaller area for public utilization and an estimated loss of land worth approximately Rs 1,700 crore for the AMC. The decision to deviate from the regulations has raised concerns and may lead to disputes among landowners. The TP Scheme mechanism is a well-established part of Gujarat's urban planning framework.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is poised to break its regulations on land deduction for urban planning schemes for the first time in its existence in order to assist selected property holders within the municipality. The concern lies in the deduction of only 25 percent rather than the required 40 percent of land from private plot proprietors during the creation of town planning (TP) Scheme 32 for the Shahwadi-Behrampura vicinity.
Encompassing an area of 228.9 hectares, this TP plan is in effect. The TP committee of the AMC will be presented with the proposal, which, once endorsed, will be remitted to the state government for review. Private landowners lose a portion of their land in TP schemes, which is then combined with other land to create shared amenities and reorganize land. This paves the way for community facilities such as streets, green spaces, basic services, and communal structures.
The local government works with the proprietors of land to combine their properties and, subsequently, issues a reduced portion after taking out a percentage as cost. If the AMC had followed the 40 percent regulation, they would have been entitled to receive 91.60 hectares in the current scenario. If the suggestion is implemented to cut down only 25 percent, then the AMC will obtain a mere 57.25 hectares for public utilization.
Currently, the Shahwadi-Behrampura plots are being sold for approximately Rs 50,000 per square metre in the market. If the TP committee of the AMC approves the 25 percent land reduction, then the AMC would forfeit land worth approximately Rs 1,700 crore. Last year, on April 5th, the AMC created TP Scheme 32 by putting together 24 survey numbers from Behrampura and three survey numbers from Shahwadi. The scheme was designed to include a 40 percent deduction. In December, the initial version of the plan was submitted to the state authorities for their authorization. A directive from the state authorities instructed a decrease in it to 25 percent.
In an effort to secure a deduction of 40 percent from plots owned by farmers in the city's green belt, the AMC petitioned the Supreme Court in 2016. The farmers had advocated for a reduction ranging from 20 percent to 25 percent. They ultimately came to a mutual understanding that a 40 percent reduction would be acceptable. Auda had previously created TP proposals for Bodakdev that included a deduction rate of 30 percent. However, for the four TP proposals in Vejalpur and Prahladnagar, the deduction rate was raised to 50 percent.
In addition to this, plot owners in the Sola-Science City area were subjected to a 50 percent deduction in TP schemes. Following numerous appeals, the reduction was ultimately reduced to 40 percent. According to a high-ranking official from the AMC, there will be a dispute if particular landowners receive a 25 percent rebate.
The TP Scheme involves the appointment by the state of a quasi-legal official known as the Town Planning Officer (TPO), who communicates with landowners and devises both financial and physical plans. An unaffiliated urban planner who possesses proper training assumes this role to guarantee impartial and equitable judgements free from any interference by local authorities. Gujarat has established a reputation for its expertise in planning and creating urban areas, with the foundational attribute being its implementation of the Town Planning Scheme mechanism. TP schemes have been an inseparable component of Gujarat's planning framework for more than a hundred years.
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