August 26, 2012.
Photo : Bhadresh Gajjar.
Gandhinagar: Relaxed redevelopment rules and freehold status to housing board colonies are some highlights of the new urban housing policy the Gujarat govt is currently working on. The policy, being revised after 10 years, will be more liberal in nature and lay the foundation for promoting affordable housing through redevelopment of old housing board colonies, colonies built by local or state authorities and old private societies. The policy, currently being developed by the urban development and urban housing department, is expected to be notified soon.“We have prepared a new draft policy based on primary consultations with stakeholders and are expected to announce the draft policy shortly for public consultation,” a source close to the development said. “Under the policy, the govt may notify all colonies by the housing board or any authority as freehold to expedite the redevelopment process,” the source said.The policy will give more transferable or sale rights to members of the housing board or authority. Currently, all housing board colonies are on a 99-year lease period, making their sale or transfer restrictive. Once the govt decides to make them freehold, the property holders will be able to dispose of their properties easily for redevelopment also,” the source added.The govt aims to offer 3+ floor space index (FSI) to make redevelopment projects more attractive. Developers will get more land and the option to earn from selling more apartments after allotments to original dwellers. The govt may offer to give more open land to the developer for commercial development to fund the housing project, officials not wanting to be named said.One of the objectives behind the policy is to make room for cost-effective homes for new buyers in good areas where prices of other properties are comparatively high. There are talks that development rules too make be relaxed for all govt-authority managed or private housing societies, the sources added.
