CHENNAI: After the Tamil Nadu government’s extension of deadline by six months to regularise nearly 13.5 lakh plots in 27,000 unapproved layouts failed to generate interest, the State has called for a high-level meeting on Monday to chart out a strategy.
With three months remaining for the deadline to lapse on May 3, 2018, the State has managed to get only 50,000 applications from plot holders across the State, including 9,000 from Chennai alone.
It is learnt that the Chief Secretary will review the regularisation scheme, which is likely to be notified with additional features to benefit the people.
After extending the deadline from November 3, 2017 by six months, the State government had pushed for co-ordination between municipal administration, registration and revenue, rural and planning departments.
It is learnt that besides coordination among the four State government departments, there is a plan to create awareness campaign among the people who have purchased unapproved plots to come forth for regularisation.
Official sources indicated that the government is working on a proposal wherein unapproved plots in unauthorised layouts will be regularised benefitting the general public and ensuring the High Court lifts the ban on registration of plots in unauthorised layouts.
Sources said to prevent unregulated conversion of agriculture land for non-agriculture purpose, the State had amended the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act 1971 by inserting Section 47-A which requires No-objection Certificate from the District Collector for conversion of wet land in non-planned areas for non-agriculture use.
Similarly, the State government is planning to bring the entire area of the State under planned development in three phases and work is already under progress for Phase-I and Phase-II. Besides, the government has also notified the amended Section 22-A of the Registration Act (banning registration of plots in unauthorised layouts).
This will put an end to registration of unapproved layouts, besides addressing the concerns of High Court. The State government is planning to notify the scheme with certain features so that the ban on registration of plots in unauthorised layouts is lifted by Madras High Court. The High Court in its order on October 21, 2016 had taken exception to the proviso in the amended section 22-A of registration Act which excluded houses, sites already registered from the purview of non-registration of these plots in unapproved layouts.
Officials say that the rise in unapproved layouts is due to panchayat presidents approving layouts without the concurrence of planning authorities. There was unprecedented rise in unapproved layouts during the last one decade. The menace was such that it was found in tier-III cities and villages.