Musi River Beautification: No Cash Compensation, Affected to Get TDR — Government Issues New GO
The Telangana government is moving ahead at a fast pace with the Musi River Beautification Project. As part of the project, several poor settlements along the Musi River have already been demolished.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government is moving ahead at a fast pace with the Musi River Beautification Project. As part of the project, several poor settlements along the Musi River have already been demolished. At the same time, the acquisition of patta lands for lake development under HYDRA has triggered disputes in several parts of the city.
Against this backdrop, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had repeatedly assured that people losing land or houses under the Musi Beautification Project would be adequately compensated. However, the government has now decided to provide compensation not in cash, but in the form of Transferable Development Rights (TDR).
In this regard, the government has issued a new GO No. 16, amending the earlier GO 168 of 2012. As per the revised guidelines, if patta land located within the FTL or MFL limits of lakes or rivers is handed over to the government, the landowner will be entitled to 200% TDR.
Land surrendered in buffer zones will be eligible for 300% TDR, while land acquired beyond buffer zones for nala widening or public purposes will receive 400% TDR.
The government has also announced special construction incentives for landowners. Those who hand over patta land will be allowed additional floorsMusi River Beautification: No Cash Compensation, Affected to Get TDR — Government Issues New GO or relaxation in setbacks on the remaining land. In high-rise buildings, the use of 10% TDR will be mandatory for construction beyond the 10th floor.
Follow for more details: munsifdaily.com
Before issuing TDR, approvals from the Irrigation and Revenue Departments at the level of Executive Engineer or Additional Collector will be mandatory. For land parcels exceeding one acre, prior government approval will be required. In case of disputed lands, TDR will be deposited in a TDR Bank instead of being directly issued.
These guidelines will be applicable to all lake development projects undertaken by HYDRA, GHMC, and HMDA. The government stated that the objective of the decision is to protect the environment while safeguarding the rights of landowners.
Meanwhile, concerns had already been raised that the government plans to acquire land up to one kilometre on both sides of the Musi river. With the TDR compensation now increased up to 400%, it is becoming increasingly clear that the government intends to acquire land even beyond the buffer zones.
On the other hand, acquisition of patta lands for lake development under HYDRA has led to disputes at several locations. Residents of CIET Colony near Sunnam Cheruvu lake have already approached the court. With the latest amended GO, the government has now paved the way for compensating affected landowners through TDR.
