Give up 10% land for affordable housing, Haryana govt tells developers

Tribune News Service

Pradeep Sharma

Chandigarh, May 16

Aiming to give a boost to affordable housing across the state, the Khattar government has tweaked its licensing policy for the development of residential projects.

Under the revised New Integrated Licensing Policy-2022 (NILP-2022), colonisers have been asked to surrender 10 per cent of the land for affordable group housing to the state government. “The state government will be at liberty to utilise this area through any public/private agency,” an order issued by Devender Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Town and Country Planning, said.

Need for new policy

The current norms governing the implementation of affordable housing in existing residential projects are not being implemented in letter and spirit forcing the government to step in through the amended New Integrated Licensing Policy-2022. A senior officer

As an incentive for surrendering 10 per cent to affordable housing, the developer will get the benefit of 100 per cent floor area ratio (FAR) on the entire new planned area.

However, the developer who is not willing to surrender 10 per cent land will have another option. “In lieu of 10 per cent land to be surrendered in favour of the government for affordable housing, colonisers can deposit an amount three times the applicable collector rate,” the order said.

Sources said since the transfer of 10 per cent area to the government would be effected within 60 days of the grant of the licence and before the approval of the zoning plan, the government’s discretion would go a long way in the development of affordable housing in major cities of the state.

There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in all major cities of the state. “The current norms governing the implementation of affordable housing in the existing residential projects are not being implemented in letter and spirit forcing the government to step in through the amended NILP-2022,” a senior officer stated.

Meanwhile, no single pocket proposed to be transferred will be less than 10 per cent of the licensed area or one acre, whichever is less.

With the new policy coming into force, colonisers will be free from the obligation of providing plots or apartment for the economically weaker sections (EWS) and on “no profit, no loss” basis.

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