The state government has sought views of the two urban planning
authorities about creating a single-window system for conversion of
agricultural nanjai lands into
residential layouts.
The government has shown interest in the idea based on a petition
filed by Tamil nadu Plot Promoters Association. The government has
sought a report the Director of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).
The petition filed by Tamil Nadu Plot Promoters Association the
housing minister S Muthuswamy and housing secretary (NAME) highlighted
difficulties in getting NoCs from various departments.
This comes in wake of the state government (WHEN) amending the Tamil
Nadu Town and Country Planning Act to prevent the conversion of
wetlands to other purposes. The amendment also took away the powers of
tahsildars to grant permission to convert agricultural land for
residential and other purposes and entrusted it with the district
collectors to prevent misuse.
Secretary of Tamil Nadu Plot Promoters Association M Ravi told TNIE
that it has been one of the long pending grievances. He says to get
conversion of land use zone of agriculture Nanjai lands that fall
outside CMDA, all approval procedures should be submitted to the
Director of Town and Country Planning or a subordinate which takes
almost three years to complete.
Initially for conversion of property that falls under nanjai
agriculture land outside CMDA, the plot owner or promoter has to seek
the concurrence of the collector. This results in the collector
seeking several NoCs and certificates from several departments like
DTCP, Public Works Department, Revenue, Local body, fire and forest
and environment departments and Sipcot among other departments. This
results in a long process, says Ravi.
Many plot promoters have invested their hard earned money in their
project for which they have obtained loans from private and financial
institutions and if the projects are not implemented on time, they
have to pay huge amounts of interest on the loans. This causes
financial hardship and mental agony, he adds.
Till 2011, the conversion was on a hyper active but unregulated drive,
fuelled in the recent years by the growth in service industries
including IT and increase in disposable income. That year, the State
amended the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act by bringing in
section 47 A which intends to prevent the conversion of wetlands to
other purposes.
Under this, the power to give permission to convert agricultural land
into residential and other purposes, that was vested with the
tahsildar till then, was entrusted on the district collector to
prevent misuse. Realtors say that it is difficult to stop conversion
of wetlands until the government plans to introduce a stimulus package
to make agriculture remunerative. With the land price in Tamil Nadu
skyrocketing, selling it is seen as more profitable than agriculture.
Factfile:
In Tamil Nadu, there is no restriction for Purchase of any Agricultural land.
2. Anyone can purchase Agricultural land. However the maximum extent
of land which can be Purchased is 59.95 Acres of land.
3. In Tamil Nadu, an Agricultural land (dry land) can be converted
into a Non agricultural land by the orders of the District Collector
provided that no Agricultural activity had been carried out in the
said land during the last 10 years prior to the date of conversion.
4. As per the provision of Land Reforms Act a family with five members
can own 15 standard acres of agricultural land. Additional five acres
is allowed for every member of the family, but all together the
maximum a family can own cannot exceed 30 standard acres.
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