This document discusses land and land use issues in Punjab, India. It notes that land is a finite and scarce resource that is under increasing pressure due to population growth. It outlines various options for sourcing additional land for urban development in Punjab, including land pooling schemes, utilizing vacant government land, and rationalizing development controls. Land pooling schemes are presented as an equitable alternative to compulsory land acquisition that makes landowners partners in the development process. Examples of successful land pooling schemes in Amravati and Delhi are provided for reference. Overall, the document advocates taking a holistic, multi-pronged approach to optimize land use and source land efficiently to accommodate Punjab's growing urban population.

1. Jit Kumar Gupta
Former Advisor( Town Planning), Punjab,
jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

2. Land- Introduction
Character, Role,
Importance,
availability

3. Land- Introduction
 Land--finite resource, most vital, critical,
valuable, unique gift of nature to mankind
 Land- creator/ sustainer- of vast range of flora/
fauna/ vegetation / eco-system
 Land- platform for human support system
 Land-- recognized, basic human necessity for
human livability/ productivity.
 Land -- supports entire super structure of human
settlements
 Land--Under which infrastructures find place
 Land-- a scarce commodity
 Land– occupies 20% of global area- 80% water.
 Land – as a resource in India-- under major stress-
2.48% area supporting 17.3% -- global population

4.  Besides agriculture, land required for:
 Housing
 Trade & Commerce
 Industry
 Education/ health care/
recreation/religious
 Open spaces
 Transportation Network-Roads/streets
 Infrastructures/ utilities/service network--
water/drainage/sanitation etc
 Growing population and Competing claims
require
 -- land used in most careful manner
 - land resource needs optimum utilization

5.  Famous American humorist / writer, Mark Twain said:
 ‘Buy land, they’re not making it any more.’
 Quote holds great meaning for India,
 particularly for agrarian state of Haryana--
 -- where farming-- is a way of life
 - Providing sustenance to 63% of state population.
 For large rural families--- land represents:
 -- a fundamental asset:
 -- Primary source of income,
 -- security and status.
 -- Major cause of crime / dispute
 --state suffering from acute shortage of land with
1.56% area supporting 2.29 % of country
population(2011).
 Land availability in Punjab/person—1877 sqm(2011 ) ,
estimated to be--1574 sqm (2021), 1361 sqm( 2031)

7. Land-Issues

8.  Success of urban development– depends on supply of --
right quantum of serviced land/ at right place/at right
time/ at right price & to right people
 Urban centres --unable to increase supply of serviced
land
 Mismatch between -- demand and supply of serviced
land
 land cost-- becoming irrational, excessive
/unaffordable.
 --Inadequate land --greatest roadblock in planned/
rational urbanization.
 --Cities growth-- largely unplanned, haphazard /
irrational
 - Irrational Urban development –due to operational
inefficiency of urban land market leading to--
 -- out-pricing of urban poor from land market
 --failure to make available adequate serviced land -
leading to slums

9.  Monopoly of Parastatal Agencies;- limited resources, restricted
supply of land, emergence of parallel land market, high land prices,
inefficient land market,
 Limited Role of Private Sector; inefficient land market, limited
role in land market, high land prices, unclear titles, poor land record,
long drawn litigations, needs re-definition
 Restricting Development Controls; Restrictions imposed by
Master Plans, Development Plans, Development controls and building
by-laws -- greatest hindrance in sourcing land --, need rationalization
 Irrational Legal Framework; Right to Fair Compensation and
Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act,
2013– made land acquisition difficult, expensive, cumbersome
 Limited Supply of Serviced Land; limited release of land parcels,
auction, reserve price fixation, irrational targeting of poor beneficiaries
 Absence of Urban Land Record in public domain;-absence of
proper land record, correct area, ownership status, encumbrances ,
mortgage status-- land needs digitisation, record put in public domain

10. Land-State of
Punjab

11.  1st March, 2011-population of Punjab --2,77,04,236
 1,73,16,800 resided in 12,729 villages --1,03,87,436 in 217
urban centres
 Level of Urbanization--37.49% (India- 31.1%.)
 Punjab- 1.53% of geographical area- housing 2.29% population
 During last 110 years( 1901-2011)
 -State population increased merely by 3.7 times (7.5 to 27.7
million),
 Urban population multiplied more than 11.5 times (0.9 to
10.38 million),
 Rural population grew only by 2.6 times
 (6.61 to 17.32 million).
 Level of Urbanization grew- 3 times ( 12% to 37.49%)
 No of settlements increased from– 1.4 times (157 to217).
 In 1901- every 8th person was an urbanite,
 in 2011 every 3rd person made cities their home
 Projected Population — 2021-320lakh & 2031-- 370 lakh
 Projected urbanization -- 42% in 2021 and 48% in 2031,
Urban population -- 135 lakh in 2021 and 178 lakh in 2031

12.  32 lakh added -- 2011-21 & 43 lakh --- 2021-31
 annual addition to urban population-- 3.2 lakh during
2011-21 ; -- 4.3 lakh/year-- 2021-31
 Assuming gross urban density/ acre – 100 &
 -50% increase absorbed in existing UA Additional land
required would be;
 -- 15,500 acres (6200 hectares) for -- 2021
 -- 21,000 acres (8400 hectares) for -- 2031.
 state suffering from acute shortage of land-- with Land
availability in Punjab/person—1877 sqm(2011 ) , estimated to
be--1574 sqm (2021), 1361 sqm( 2031)
 State need a roadmap to ensure availability of land for--
 -- rationalizing urban development --making provision of
shelter--Traffic and Transportation - Open spaces --
infrastructure -- ensuring quality of life-- both existing /
future residents.

13. Options for
Sourcing Land
for Urban
Development in
Punjab

14.  Basic Approach-For planned development of cities/ towns;
 Taking a holistic / multi-pronged approach
 Making optimum use of existing urban land
 Sourcing minimum land for urban development
 Making land market efficient / sensitive to demand
 Rationalizing land prices;
 Minimising land speculation.
 Making provision of basic amenities/services/ /infrastructure ---
on re-defined norms / standards.
 Rationalizing land related policies
 Ending monopoly of prastatal agencies- in land assembly/
development
 Sourcing land -- joint activity of public sector/private sector /
cooperative sector
 Protecting lower income groups.
 Promoting optimum utilization of public / private urban land
 Diverting vacant urban land into market.
 Creating automated/ cadastral land titling system/digitizing land
record
 Creating a supportive /enabling policy and legal framework

15.  Options for sourcing land in urban Punjab to include;
 Compulsory Acquisition of land
 Purchasing land by Negotiation from landowners
 Bartering Raw land with Developed Land/Land Exchange
 Land Pooling and Land Distribution
 Granting License to private Colonies
 Optimum Utilisation of existing urban Land
 -- Using Vacant Government Land
 --- Recycling derelict land .
 Transfer of Development Rights
 Accommodation Reservation
 Redefining Floor Area Ratio/Height
 Promoting flatted development against plotted
development
 Redefining planning tools/planning process
 Using Land 24X7
 Reinventing Town Planning Scheme

16.  Compulsory Acquisition of land- Least preferred
mode—under-Right to Fair Compensation and
Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act, 2013
 --difficult and time consuming process
 -- expensive -- compensation at higher rate
 --involving rehabilitation and
 -- resettlement of land owners.
 -- lack of resources with parastatal agencies
 -- liabilities incurred on perpetual basis
 -- opposed by landowners
 -- long drawn litigation between landowners/Acquiring
agencies
 -- Using as a last resort

17.  Purchasing land by Negotiation from landowners-
Involving Private Sector—
 - Land sourced by developers from landowner
 --at a negotiated price.
 -- used for planning /developing colonies-Residential--
plotted/flatted-- commercial, industrial
 - under Punjab Apartment and Property Regulations Act,
1995
 -- Considerable amount of land brought under development
 -- Development of colonies impacted by prevailing high land
prices/ lack of land related data
 -Colonies mostly localized in/around large urban centres
 -Least impact to make land market efficient
 --Large un-serviced peri-urban/rural lands put to urban use-
 - Need to redefine scope and approach- by confining to
urban limits only

18. Regenerating Private land;
 - Large chunks of corporate /private lands locked
in inefficient uses-
 -closed industries/offices/Institutions
 --land to be brought into urban market for
meeting land requirement for
 --shelter, infrastructure, institutions, trade &
commerce, creating open spaces
 -- State to incentivize such development by--
 --granting permission for change of landuse
 -- granting approvals on time bound basis
 -- Promoting joint ventures for stressed land
parcels

19. Optimum Utilization of Vacant Government
Lands( OUVGL);
 State/central/ULGs/ parastatal agencies-- biggest
landholders of most valuable land parcels in urban
areas--Chennai --30 %,Ahmadabad-32% -world bank
 Punjab Govt launched OUVGL scheme-- for bringing
government land in urban market
 Scheme made not much headway due to -
 -Reluctance by departments to part with land
 --cumbersome approval/ development process o
 Scheme – to be made more effective /efficient
 Vesting Land Ownership with state government
 - creating inventory for such lands
 Carrying out detailed analysis of available land
 Carrying out development on time bound basis.

20. .
Taxing Vacant Urban Land;
•Land Speculation-- gaining enormous currency.
• Large quantity of urban land remains locked /
unused
• Few cities of Punjab–
•-- have > 25-30% of urban land lying unused.
• - Even agriculture practiced within urban limits
• Available Urban land-needs to be brought into
market
•--to make optimum use of urban land&
•Minimizing land speculation
• by imposing extension fee/taxes on vacant
plots.
• --Permitting sale of individual floors on plotted
development to make full use of buildable area

21.  Land Pooling and Plot Reconstitution Schemes;
 -- Best option for sourcing land for urban purposes
 -- aptly called, ‘Urban development without Tears
 --universal application for sourcing land
 -- distinct advantage over land acquisition
-- more equitable; efficient/sustainable self-financing
 makes land for infrastructure available without cost;
 treats landowner- partners in urban development
 eliminates cumbersome process of land acquisition.
 -- landowner retaining majority of land
 -- getting much higher returns
 - scheme generates resources for urban local body
 -- enables planned urban expansion.
 -- works best in medium/metro areas

22.  Land Pooling and Plot Reconstitution Schemes;
 Pre- Requisite for successful implementation of
scheme---- supported by state/ ulb/land owners/
public/ private/stakeholders;
 -- creating proper and supportive legal framework with
 -- rules, regulations/guidelines to ensure fairness
 -- designating agency at local level --with powers
/authority to for coordination/ assistance from deptt;
 creating efficient/accurate system of land
registration
 -Having skilled/ dedicated professionals/negotiators
 availability of objective/ well-trained land valuers ;
 framing scheme on time bound basis;
 Creating adequate checks/ balances for transparency
in scheme formulation / valuation.

23.  Rationalising Building Bye-Laws/Dev. Controls;
 Urban land Utilization hindered by irrational
building bye-laws/ development controls, -
creating Restrictions on use/developing land
 For improving utility of land—
 --maximum plot sizes restricted ;
 -- land use patterns clearly defined
 -promoting mixed land use/ leveraging flatted
development instead of plotted development
 - Rationalising floor area ratio, ground coverage,
setbacks- to make cities compact
 -Promoting vertical expansion,
 -- Redefining Building bye-laws /development

24. Land pooling
Punjab;

25.  Land pooling Punjab;
 For making land owners in urban development -- state notified
land pooling scheme-- alternative to compulsory acquisition
 Instead of paying compensation in cash-- landowner given
developed residential / commercial plots -depending on land
surrendered
 For agricultural land/ acre-- farmer given-- residential plot of 1000
Sqyds and commercial plot of SCO of 18feet x 40 feet.
 Looking at intent/content - misnomer to call it land pooling
 Barter system-- where raw land exchanged for developed land
 Scheme popular in large cities--where prevailing land prices high
 farmers hope to get higher value of land
 Success of scheme contingent on credibility of authority
 -- time frame in which plots allotted / place where allotted.
 Success of scheme depends upon Authority having ready
developed land , acceptable to landowners.

26.  Re-Inventing Town Planning Scheme– under The Punjab
Municipal Act, 1911/1977
 Majority of Punjab urban Development leveraged by
Town Planning Schemes till 1992- when a decision of
Supreme Court annulled section 192 0f PMA
 Section 192- provided for taking away 25% land owned
without paying compensation /35% with compensation
 Land pooled only for planning with no change permitted
in the contours of land ownership
 Contribution of land owners varied between -25%
 Development of infrastructures –liability of ULB
 No financial contribution made by the landowners
 Scheme only a regulatory scheme
 Scheme lacked transparency in planning/ implementation
with people selling land under common spaces

27. Amravati
Land Pooling
Scheme;

28.  Amravati Land Pooling Scheme;
 -- Amravati-new capital city of AP,
 -- planned for3.5 mllion population ,
 -- spread over217 sqkm
 -- to be built through Land Pooling Scheme,
 --without resorting to compulsory land acquisition
 --Enacted ,AP Capital Region Development Act 2014’
 -- making provision of Land Pooling Scheme.
 - a voluntary land procurement mechanism
 Landowners direct beneficiaries/partners in development
 land assembled under irrevocable voluntary consents into
 -planned parcels--developed /partly returned to owners.
 Compensation –depending upon-- land quality /quantity/
cropping pattern

29.  Amravati Land Pooling Scheme; Double-cropped land—
 1000 syds of residential land & 200 syds of commercial land /
acre of land pooled
 Annuity (paid monthly) starting at Rs 30,000 per year
 -- increasing by Rs 3,000 annually for 10 years
-- Triple-cropped land
 --1000 syds of residential land & 450 syds of commercial land/
acre pooled
 --annuity starting at Rs 50,000 per year,
 -- increasing by Rs 5,000 annually for a decade.
 --After 10 years-- city expected to be fully developed
 -- all farmers to become city landlords, workers/ businessmen.
 Government to utilize its share of Amravati land
 to develop infrastructure/amenities - capital complex.
 scheme involves--- reconstitute land, develop infrastructure/
handing possession of developed land to owners within 2.5 years

30. Delhi
Development
Authority- Land
Pooling Scheme;

31.  Delhi Land Pooling Scheme;
 For meeting demand of land-- rapid population
 growth, DDA framed
 Land pooling Scheme --to source land from landownersers
 without compulsory acquisition/cash compensation
 Scheme based on the principle of --
 land owners to share part of land with DDA
 in lieu of getting permission for development
/ selling in market.
 dividing landowners into;Small land holders
 holding between 2-20 hect
 -- large land owners having land above 20 Hec
 -- Small land owner returned 40% of land
 -- whereas large landowner gets 60% of the land
 Development conditions provide –
 ---pattern for land development based on
DDA–LAND POOLINGPOLICY

32. Mumbai-
Model of
sourcing land

33. Transfer of Development Rights(TDR)-
 -- Sourcing land for developing urban roads
 -- defined in master plans/development plans.
 --Development Rights given in lieu of compensation
 -- not in cash but in kind
Accommodation Reservation(AR)-
 --Sourcing land for public amenities
 -- dispensaries ,police-post, community centres,
convenient shopping-- defined in development plans
 Development Rights given –as compensation for land
Air Space Development Rights-
 for intensive utilization of land --creating built up space
over the public transportation network etc

40. MAKING
CITIES
COMPACT

42.  Making Cities Compact;
 In addition to making available adequate land
 Minimum land to be used for urbanization
 Preparing master plans/development plans-to make
cities compact- cities of short distances
 --involving minimum use of land.
 --Promoting pedestrianisation
 -- Involving mixed land uses.
 -- planned/designed /developed
 --as a vertical / inward looking city.
 -- walk-able city- involving Transit Oriented Development
 - promoting high density development
 providing large built up area using minimum land
 - Redefining planning norms and standards for public
amenities/ education/play areas/institutions/healthcare

48. CONEPTUALISING
CITIES OF FUTURE

49. •Location: Any densely populated urban
environment
•Date: 1991
•Cost: $150,000,000,000
•Population: 1,000,000 people
•Exterior surface area of building:
150,000,000 sft.
•Enclosed volume: 53,000,000,000 cubic feet
•Total enclosed acreage: 39,000 acres-156
Sectors
•Elevator speed: 20 feet per second (13 miles
per hour) 9 minutes and 40 seconds to reach
top floor from ground floor.
•Dimensions: Height--10,560 feet;
•Diameter at the base--6000 feet;
•Number of stories--500;
•Total Square Feet: Approximately 5,000,000
sft

50. • Location Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Cost US$28.5 billion
• Height 1 mile (1,600 m; 5,280 ft)
• Floor area3,530,000 m2 (38,000,000 sft)
• Capacity 80,000 people
• The tower will have -275 floors
• Lobby upto 5 th floor
• Offices 6- 50 floors
• Five-star hotel &Conference halls 51-75
floors
• Deluxe residential units 76-195 floors and
• Retail facilities 196-275 floors
• Alternate Energy Generation 196-275
floors
• Status of the project

51.  Location- Mexico City
 Depth 300 mtrs. Below ground
 Designed as Inverted Pyramid
 Glass floor to cover 240 mtrs X
240 mtrs. hole in cities main
square to filter natural light
 Preserve the cities historic
centre and the heritage
buildings surrounding the
square.
 Interior of building to look
natural.
 Building to be city”s top retail
destination.

52. OTHER
MODELS

53.  Two basic Approaches for sourcing land—
 -- Bringing new land into urban market &
 -- Optimum Utilisation of available urban land
 Re--densification– Proposed model of -- Chandigarh
 Using Terraces for Housing– --- New York Model
 Promoting flatted development -- Singapore Model
 Cross- subsidization– -- --- Hong Kong Model
 Public &Private partnership ---West Bengal Model
 Reserving land for EWS Housing –-- Gujarat/Punjab
/Haryana

54. WAY
FORWARD

55.  Considering enormity /magnitude of problem
 declared policy of government to provide housing for all by 2022
 launching six urban focussed missions/yojnas /schemes
 pressure on urban areas --going to increase enormously.
 With more people residing in urban areas-- .
 State of Punjab would require ;
 --additional land of 6200 hectares -- 2021;
 -- 8200 hectares between 2021-2031.
 -- for leveraging land in right quantity/right place/right price--
 Town Development Scheme provided - PRTPA1995-( Chapter xii –
section 91- 138) prototype of Land Pooling and Land
Distribution Scheme --used by Gujarat/ Maharashtra-- would be
best option --to source land without involving any compulsory
acquisition.
 Unfortunately potential of scheme not explored in last 23
years - No Town Development Scheme framed in state.
 high land values / small land holdings/high stakes in agriculture-
 land pooling scheme emerges-- best option to source land
 Planners to also look at innovative options for minimizing
land for urban purposes by redefining planning tools/planning
strategies/contours of future cities.