Providing affordable housing in Delhi to get simpler

New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) In a bid to ease the process of providing affordable housing, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Thursday said that it has simplified the land pooling process for building housing for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

The land pooling policy of the DDA has been simplified and a single window clearance mechanism will be set up, an official statement said.

Under the land pooling policy, a group of people pool their land and give it to the DDA, which then develops basic infrastructure like roads, drains and sewage on it.

Then a part of the "developed land" is given back to the original owners and the owners have to construct a pre-agreed number of economical housing there.

The owners can retain 50 per cent of these housing and have to sell the rest to DDA at Rs 2,000 per sq.ft. DDA then sells the housing to beneficiaries who fall under EWS.

Earlier, the pooled land had to first be changed to the DDA's name and after development, it had to be changed back to the owners' names, an official told IANS.

But according to the new policy, the land will remain in the owners' name throughout the process, which the authorities believe would simplify it.

The decision was taken in a meeting between Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who is also the Chairman of DDA.

DDA officials have been directed to formulate necessary regulations "under the policy in accordance with the changes in a month's time".

"About 22,000 hectares of land is expected to be pooled which could meet the needs of about 95 lakh people," the statement read.

"Land pooling would catalyse economic, social and civic development of the national capital besides triggering substantial investments and employment generation," the statement added.

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