Gujarat government's new policy to enable cross-city transferable development rights
AHMEDABAD
: The state govt is putting together a new redevelopment and
Transferable Development Rights
(TDR) policy that will, for the first time, create a regional development rights market in
Gujarat
.
The policy framework proposes an inter-city TDR framework, allowing cross-city transfer of development rights in Ahmedabad,
Surat
,
Vadodara
,
Rajkot
and other urban centres while addressing various urban challenges. Currently, TDR certificates allow developers to build over and above the permissible floor space index (FSI) under prevalent rules by purchasing unused development rights from other properties or vacant land.
"Usually, TDR systems operate within individual municipal boundaries. The new policy's inter-city framework means that a developer in Ahmedabad could potentially use TDR certificates generated from land in Surat. This creates a regional development rights market for the first time," said the UDD official.
A senior official from the urban development and urban housing department (UDD) revealed that landlocked properties that cannot be developed due to access or regulatory constraints will be taken up, adding that the new redevelopment and TDR policy will open the floor for solutions to urban challenges like housing through slum redevelopment, repurposing closed factories for modern use, optimizing utility of transport hubs, and converting idle govt land into productive use.
City-specific committees will streamlineand fast-track approvals and also oversee the policy's execution . "The policy reduces govt's financial burden by incentivizingdevelopers to undertake redevelopment projects. We will use data analytics to identify optimal redevelopment opportunities," the official added.
"The policy will provide TDR rules specific to each redevelopment type," the senior UDD official said. He added, "The policy will define eligible areas, establish valuation methods, and lay down the issuance and usage guidelines. A robust monitoring mechanism will ensure transparency and measurable progress."
Officials added that the policy will also consist of special implementation guides — similar to those used in Maharashtra — to aid both civic bodies and developers. TDR has been used in Maharashtra, including Kolhapur, to preserve heritage buildings by compensating owners who are restricted from redeveloping or modifying their properties. These owners receive TDR, which they can sell to developers, thus monetizing their development rights without altering the heritage site.
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