Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority’s ambitious land pooling initiative at different places in the city’s outskirts is yet to take off as the body is still awaiting government approval. Kollur, Pratapsingaram, Edulanagulapally, Kandi are some of the places that have been shortlisted for this purpose.
It is only in the case of Uppal Bhagat lands that the HMDA has got approval from the government and has gone ahead and developed the land. The HMDA already has the consent from the municipal administration department to introduce land pooling by making amendments in the existing HMDA Act. For the last few weeks, the officials have been formulating and fine-tuning guidelines with the help of department officials.
Once land pooling makes it to HMDA Act book, things would become easier for the metropolitan body. It can weigh pros and cons of land pooling prospects of a particular place within its purview and take a final decision. Currently, every time the HMDA has to write to the police department and get its approval. Officials stated that land pooling initiative will only be taken up in lands with clear titles. Records will be checked with concerned district collector’s office and if they fall under government, assigned, encroached or ceiling lands category then applications would be rejected straightaway. One such proposal came from Medipally; the land title was not clear and hence the proposal could not go forward.
Meanwhile, the urban body is waiting for government nod to auction its share of developed lands in Uppal Bhagat. Nearly 1.10 lakh sq.yards of developed land is readily available and HMDA is expecting to rake in Rs 200 crore from it. Under the scheme land owners have to hand over vacant lands to HMDA which will be developing it free of cost. Forty per cent of the land will be utilised for developing amenities like roads, water connectivity, drainage lines, play grounds, parks etc. The leftover developed area will be divided between the land owners and HMDA.
