Thousands of realty investors may be trapped with investments in 68 villages under the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) jurisdiction which will see a freeze in conversion of agricultural land for other purposes. The much-coveted NA (non-agricultural) conversions will happen only in rare cases under the draft development plan presented on 1st February.

The proposal has immense implications for those who made investments in land banks several kilometres off the SP Ring road, if they haven’t obtained NA already. Only 5% construction will be allowed on farmland and, given the small plot sizes, the plans to launch farmhouse schemes will be shattered for now. The new changes in DP, if at all, will come only after a decade.

), relaxations in the construction norms will extend to a further radius of 200 m from the village’s present boundary – but that too with Auda’s consent. Exceptions for construction on farmland will be made only in case of township projects or large institutions specified under the existing General Development Control Regulations (GDCR).

Though the final DP will come into effect only later this year, instructions have been issued to deny pending and fresh NA applications with immediate effect. This may well prove to be a nightmare for a number of land sharks who had made huge investments in the far-flung Auda areas, hoping to launch plotting schemes some day.

The move is aimed at arresting the unplanned development in many of these areas which have seen a phenomenal increase in realty rates in the last 3-5 years. “Look at the Nalsarovar road for example,” said a senior official involved with drafting the DP, adding “almost all the land on this beautiful stretch that once belonged to farmers here has been purchased by developers”.

He said the move will impact nearly 880 sq km, out of a total of 1,772 sq km which falls under Auda. With a view to protect the interests of local villagers in ‘gamtal’ (home-state land

Source: The Times of India, Ahmedabad