CHENNAI: If you are unable to buy or sell agriculture land for erecting a house or for commercial purposes, your wait might end soon. After the Madras HC stalled the sale of illegal housing plots on agricultural land through an order six months ago, both the real estate market and government, who earn revenue through registration, felt the squeeze. This may end if the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) implements a procedure to legalise such housing plots.
According to the proposed plan, conversion of agricultural land would happen in three steps — seeking public objections and suggestions, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State agriculture department and an NOC from the local tahsildar.
Sources told Express that the DTCP’s new rules for conversion of agricultural land would be issued as an executive order under Section 47 (A)(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act and would be enforceable once published in the government gazette. The agriculture department’s NOC should be obtained from an officer not below the rank of joint director, and the NOC of tahsildar should indicate the cropping activity of the land and fasli details.
Conversion of agricultural land into housing plots had been continuing in the State until last September, when the HC barred the Registration Department from registering sales of unapproved housing plots. Real estate developers would usually buy land and sell it as housing plots without gaining approval. Loss of land for agriculture was common knowledge. It continued since successive governments relaxed norms for approval. But this industry nearly came to a standstill after the HC order last September and even the registration department was said to have felt the pinch due to falling revenue.
If you are unable to buy or sell agriculture land for erecting a house or for commercial purposes, your long wait might end soon. Both the real estate market and government, who earn revenue through registration, felt the squeeze. This may end if the DTCP implements a procedure to legalise such housing plots.
The proposed plan for conversion of agricultural land consists of three steps - seeking public objections and suggestions, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State agriculture department and an NOC from the local tahsildar.
Sources told Express that the new rules would be issued as an executive order under Section 47 (A)(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act, enforceable once published in the gazette. The agriculture department’s NOC should be from an officer not below the rank of joint director, and the tahsildar’s NOC should indicate cropping activity of the land and fasli details.
Conversion of agricultural land into housing plots had been continuing until last September, when the HC barred the Registration Department from registering sales of unapproved plots. Realtors would usually buy land and sell it as housing plots without approval. Loss of land for agriculture was common knowledge. It continued since successive governments relaxed norms for approval. But this nearly came to a standstill after the HC order last September and even the registration department was said to have felt the pinch due to falling revenue.