The Significance of Urban Land Redevelopment in India

Newsmantra — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 13:24:36 +0000

The Significance of Urban Land Redevelopment in India

-Mr Ved Prakash Dudeja,VC,RLDA

The urban land redevelopment refers to the reorganization of the urban land from low-density residential use to high-density commercial development. It is usually accompanied by up-gradation of the existing infrastructure to support up-zoning. The objective of urban redevelopment is to restore economic viability through commercial activities. The subsequent redevelopment leads to the creation of amenities to enhance customer experience, aids in employment generation and boosts the local economy. It is also in line with the urban redevelopment plans for shaping the New India.

In the past few years, the government has undertaken several initiatives such as Smart Cities, Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) to rejuvenate the urban landscape in India. The redevelopment adds another dimension to urbanization in India. The Union Budget 2021-22 also prioritizes infrastructure as the bedrock for economic revival in the post-pandemic world with the allocation of INR 102 trillion over five years for the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for various infrastructure projects across sectors such as roads, railways, ports, airports, urban, power, telecom, etc. This is an opportune moment for India to undertake redevelopment as it strives to enhance its attractiveness as a global hub amid clarion calls for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. It is also a step forward towards achieving the dream of a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024.

The first step in the process of urban land redevelopment is to identify suitable hotspots for redevelopment. The next step is to identify the objective of redevelopment and shortlist appropriate entities to undertake the process. Over the past few years, the PPP model has emerged as a viable development option, as it combines the strengths of both entities. An appropriate benchmarking model must be devised to inspire further redevelopment.

It is noteworthy that there are several challenges in the process. Redevelopment entails heavy investment. The Niti Aayog estimates that India requires investment worth INR 40-trillion until 2030 to revamp its infrastructure. The role of the private sector and the new-age funding instruments such as InvITs(infrastructure investment trust), TOT(toll-operate-transfer), securitization cannot be underestimated in meeting the financing gap. Sustainability is another aspect that deserves due consideration. Redevelopment should be based on an effective urban model that puts the needs of the disadvantaged majority at the forefront and hedges the urban environment responsive against ecological vulnerabilities. It should abide by all environmental norms and incorporate green features such as the use of solar energy, rainwater harvesting, space utilization for optimum sunlight, terrace gardens and much more. The active participation of all stakeholders through extensive engagement is also the key. Furthermore, any redevelopment should entail a bottom-up approach with the involvement of the people at the grassroots.

The redevelopment is indeed an important task of translating the urban development vision into reality. It results in better land use and augments the sources of revenue generation within existing cities and their peripheries. It also upgrades the region in tune with the requirements over time and enhances the region’s attractiveness in terms of industrial development and investment. Sustainable redevelopment in Tier 2 and 3 cities will bridge regional disparities, curb emigration and ease problems of congestion, pollution and urban sprawl. Some of its other benefits include a fillip to tourism and retail development and improvement in the quality of life of citizens. It is also in line with Sustainable Development Goals. Huge tracts of surplus land of Government Departments and PSUs like Railways, Ministry of Defence, BSNL, Air India etc., in all the major cities of the country offers a great opportunity to start a chain reaction of development of urban spaces required for the future needs of the country.

The burgeoning population and urbanization will put pressure on existing resources such as land, housing, water and electricity supply in cities. Redevelopment is a prudent way forward to address these issues and makes cities livable for the generations to come.

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ANYONE CAN BUY LAND IN J AND K

Newsmantra — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 04:34:56 +0000

Union government on Tuesday notified rules to allow Indian citizens from outside Jammu and Kashmir to purchase land in the Union territory.

The move is significant, considering that before Article 370 and Article 35-A were repealed in August 2019, non-residents could not buy any immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir. The move comes about 14 months after the bifurcation of the state and passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

In a gazette notification of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020, the Union government omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, which deals with disposal of the land in the Union territory.

The amendments, however, do not allow transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists, Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said.

The decision sparked a fresh political war of words with the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) opposing it.

Senior NC leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the announcement was unacceptable and asserted that Jammu and Kashmir was not up for sale.

“Unacceptable amendments to the land ownership laws of J&K. Even the tokenism of domicile has been done away with when purchasing non-agricultural land and transfer of agricultural land has been made easier. J&K is now up for sale and the poorer small land holding owners will suffer,” Abdullah tweeted on Tuesday.

PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti called for a united fight by the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and said the three provinces should come together to fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Yet another step that’s part of GOI’s nefarious designs to disempower and disenfranchise people of J&K. From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources and finally putting land in J&K up for sale,” tweeted Mufti.

The central government has said that bringing development to Jammu and Kashmir is key to ensure that the youth are weaned away from joining the ranks of terrorist groups operating there. Ensuring investments in the region is seen as crucial to develop industry and give employment to the people especially the youth, it said.

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The Significance of Urban Land Redevelopment in India

ANYONE CAN BUY LAND IN J AND K