CHENNAI: The state government is likely to constitute a regional planning authority by bringing in an amendment to the 1971 Town and Country Planning Act, according to official sources. It is learnt the government is looking at having two types of planning authorities - Regional and Urban. All planning functions at urban and sub-city level - Local area plans and Land Pooling Area Development Schemes (LPADS) - may be performed by the urban development authorities.
Similarly, the development charge, infrastructure and amenity charge and shelter charge rates may be linked to guideline values as per the recommendations of a consultant. Currently, development charge and infrastructure and amenity charge are linked to guideline value.The adoption of rates linked to guideline values in all the three charges would result in buoyancy in revenues, official sources said.
Furthermore, in the interest of ‘ease of doing business’ only one charge is proposed with provision for contribution to the funds to be established by government, sources added.The proposal for bringing in the changes is being worked out by Ahmedabad-based CEPT Research & Development Foundation, (CRDF). The new proposed amendment will help planning the development and use of land in the planning areas designated in the state, and for constituting regional planning authorities and appointing urban development authorities, sources said.
This comes as the state government has notified the rules for preparing regional plans for optimum use of land resources in 1.36 lakh square kilometres last year. The current 1971 Town and Country Planning Act devotes considerable space to development control, unauthorised development and resolution of disputes arising out of development control. As a result implementation of the plan is not adequately spelt out in the 1971 Act.
Regional planning envisages efficient land use, infrastructure, and growth of settlements for a larger area than just an individual city or town.It would focus on location, history, topography, transport, population, age-sex composition, literacy, workforce distribution, zones of development, and industrial, residential and commercial areas in the region.
In 1974, eight regions were demarcated in TN for planned growth, but the plan never took off. The 12 regions identified for regional planning are Chennai Metropolitan Area (1,189 sq km), Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur (6,863 sq km), Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai (12,263 sq km); Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi (10,897 sq km); Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri (18,283 sq km); Tiruchirappalli, Ariyalur, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukottai (15,753 sq km); Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai (8,254 sq km); Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur (15,679 sq km); Nilgiris (2,565 sq km); Madurai, Theni, Dindigul (12,614 sq km); Sivagangai,Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram (12,578 sq km) and Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari (13,122 sq km).