Govt plans to make integrated township policy

The Gujarat Integrated Township Policy, which the state government had announced in 2007 with much fanfare, has been gathering dust in the Sachivalaya files. Though no one knows as to when the policy will be implemented, the government has now decided to revise it and make it more pragmatic to attract private investment in the township development sector.

According to sources in the state Urban Development Department, the policy, though announced at the Vibrant Gujarat Urban Summit in Ahmedabad about two-and-a-half-years ago, could not be implemented due to “some lacunae”. “Now, we have decided to revise the entire policy, making it more comprehensive and practical for its effective implementation,” sources added.

A senior official in the department told Newsline on Monday that the exercise to prepare the revised draft for the policy is on, and it is expected to be over in the next few days.

State Urban Development Minister Nitin Patel could not be contacted, while one of his staff members said the minister would soon convene a meeting of senior department officials to discuss the issue.

The official said the policy has to be revised. Certain key elements relating to FSI, built-up area, and land allotment for setting up integrated townships need to be specified and incorporated suitably in the policy document, he added. “We are also considering the various suggestions made by private developers to make the policy more pragmatic and workable,” he said.

Jakshay Shah, the president of Gujarat Chapter of the Confederation of Real-Estate Developers of India said that the government should allot at least 100 acres of land to the prospective developer to build an integrated township.

In its proposed revised policy, the government should also clarify on some key provisions relating to FSI, built-up area and infrastructure to be created in such townships, he added.

“It is really unfortunate that the government has taken so long to implement the policy. About 40 per cent of the state’s population is living in the urban areas, and the number of nuclear families has been increasing steadily. This has triggered the demand for more and better urban settlements across Gujarat. If implemented earlier, this vital policy can solve this problem,” Shah said.

He added that the concept of integrated township would also reduce the increasing pressure on agricultural land and ease the urban transportation problem.

The government had announced its integrated township policy in 2007. Its main objectives were: facilitating the creation of efficient, equitable and sustainable urban settlements, Public Private Partnership in urban development, and promoting economic development in and around major cities of the state.

The government’s role as mentioned in the policy document would be that of a facilitator, providing support to prospective developers for creating external infrastructure (power, roads, water), land purchase, green channel procedures and monitoring mechanisms. It also aims to give a boost to the real estate sector.