Gurgaon authority gets rights to execute change of land use

In a major boost to its powers, the newly formed Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has got the rights to execute change of land use (CLU), the job earlier done by the town and country planning (TCP) department, Haryana.

The department released a letter in this regard on Wednesday, which the experts feel will provide a major relief to people seeking CLU. They had to travel to Chandigarh to do this until now.

The CLU is a permission to convert a portion of land from one category to another, for example, from agricultural to residential or commercial.

In its letter, director TCP ordered that the district town planner and his staff will be attached to the GMDA.

“Therefore, now as per Section 15 of Ordinance No. 2 of 2017, the GMDA is to take action in cases for grant of permission for change of land use, falling within the jurisdiction of GMDA,” the order said.

Director, TCP, TL Satyaprakash told Hindustan Times that the development is a good step in the decentralisation of power.

The TCP said the GMDA has been separately requested to take action for issuance of notification for bringing into force the order and also to depute staff to collect the records pertaining to CLU cases, falling within the jurisdiction of GMDA, from the TCP office.

The director also ordered that the entire record of cases for grant of permission for CLU and other related matters be arranged in a manner for its shifting to the GMDA. The records are to be transferred to the GMDA officials after following due procedure.

“We have been demanding more powers for the authority for from the very start. There were apprehensions that the authority may be rendered an ineffective body. The rights to execute CLU means that major decisions pertaining to Gurgaon can be taken in the city itself, leading to the speedy development of the area,” said Gurgaon MP and Union minister of state for planning (independent charge) Rao Inderjit Singh, who has been pushing for the GMDA from the very start.

“The CLU rights is a welcome step. The licensing rights should also be given to the authority. Developers will get a major relief from making rounds of Chandigarh if that is done,” said Parveen Jain, vice-chairman, national real estate development council.

Timeline:

•April 10, 2016: CM ML Khattar announced at a public rally in Badshahpur to make efforts for formation of Gurugram development authority (GDA)

•September 5: CM officially announced formation of Gurugram development authority (GDA)

•October 31: Senior IAS officer V Umashankar resumed charge as Officer-on-Special-Duty of the authority.

•December 8: The bill was submitted to the government

•December 21: Government renamed the body from GDA to Gurugram metropolitan development authority (GMDA)

•April 18, 2017: Haryana cabinet approved a bill paving the way for formation of GMDA

•June 1: Haryana Cabinet approved the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) Ordinance, 2017

•August 14: Notifications for Gurugram Metropolitan Area and GMDA issued

•August 15: Haryana chief minister ML Khattar announced that senior IAS officer Anand Mohan Sharan will have the additional charge of the chief executive officer of the GMDA.

•August 17: V Umashankar appointed Additional CEO

•October 25: GMDA Bill 2017 passed in the assembly

•Nov 15: Change of Land Use rights transferred from DTP to GMDA