The Tamil Nadu state
government had tightened rules for conversion of wet land that is cultivable
agricultural land with irrigation sources into other categories for
residential, industrial & infrastructure use in a bid to curb
indiscriminate development.
Till 2011 Feburary,
land owners seeking conversion of wet lands for non-agricultural purposes were
only expected to provide certificates from tahsildars stating that the plot was
not being used for agriculture for many years.
Tahsildars were
permitted to clear such conversion in case water availability for irrigation
had dried up in the area owing to infrastructure growth in catchment areas of
water tanks & lakes.
Collectors Personally
Visit..!
Further regulate
unchecked real estate exploitation of agricultural land, government had taken
away such powers from tahsildars and entrusted them to district collectors
through a order. Hereafter, district collectors will have to personally visit
the spot & verify that the land for which conversion is sought is no longer
suitable for agriculture.
Regulatory agencies
like the CMDA (Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority) and the DTCP
(Directorate of Town and Country Planning) would then take a decision to
reclassify the land based on the collector's report. This holds good even for
major industrial projects.
The state
government's view is that district collectors would be able to resist pressure
exerted by real estate promoters / developers / builders & business houses.
One of the DTCP
officer said, ''TN Government order, issued, could go a long way in preventing
misuse of cultivable land in the state."
Over the past one
decade, large tracts of agricultural land have been converted into residential
layouts across the Tamil Nadu, especially along all state & national
highways and district main roads.
This had not only led
to an artificial real Estate boom even in remote rural areas, but has also led
to shrinking of areas under agriculture, thereby eroding crop output. While the
broad government policy permits only conversion of rain fed dry land for non
agricultural use, the reality is that even wet lands have been put to real
estate use in many areas.
Confederation of Real
Estate Developers' Association of India National Sectary Mr. T Chitty Babu
said, "Restrictions are good in the sense that it strives to strike a
balance between development &
conservation of the eco system. But one should not say that conversion
of wet land is totally wrong. It has to be done on a case to case basis &
in a measured manner. Entrusting the powers with the district collectors could
lead to further delay in giving clearance for projects, because, before the
collectors visit, they will insist on reports from respective tahsildars. If
such dual verification is done away with, it will be good."
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