VIJAYAWADA: The State Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill to amend the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, 2014, and the AP Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities (APMRUDA) Act, 2016.The Bill inserted the phrase, ‘social housing for the Economically Weaker Sections’ in any schemes of the State or the central government. It would allow to allot housing sites in CRDA limits.
The phrase affordable housing for the poor would make any citizen of the State eligible for the State/central schemes in CRDA, and would not be restricted to the villagers in the capital city or capital region area.Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development Audimulapu Suresh explained that the provisions of the APCRDA Act, initially repealed under Act 27 of 2020, stood revived by Act 11 of 2021.
Before repealing the Act, various activities, including the notification of master plan of the capital city had been concluded. The construction of houses for the poor had also been initiated.The Act has been amended in 2018 for better achieving the objective initially envisaged under the provisions of the Act. The development plan (master plan) of the capital city initially notified on February 23, 2016 was modified on certain occasions.
On each occasion, the modification was initiated suo motu by the authority without a reference from the local body. Accordingly, a preliminary notification was issued on March 10, 2020, proposing suo motu modification of the sanctioned plan.The gazette notification was challenged in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The court initially suspended the notification. In its final judgment, the court held that there was no suo motu power to amend or modify the master plan under the provisions of the CRDA Act, without reference made by the local authority concerned. To validate the suo motu amended master plans, certain sections were required to be amended with retrospective effect, and it should be a legitimate exercise of the legislature.APMRUDA’s provisions, enabling suo motu modifications of the notified development plan/master plan, were also required to be amended.