The Telangana government has finalised separate land-pooling terms for the Musi Riverfront Development Area, setting out different entitlements for patta landowners, buffer-zone holders, occupants of government land and assigned-land holders. The initial pooling exercise has been proposed for the stretch between Nagole and Gowrelly in Hyderabad, although the total area to be pooled is still being worked out.
Under the terms reported by Deccan Chronicle, patta landowners will receive either a 50:50 share of the developable land after development or 1,400 square yards per acre, whichever is less. The provision establishes a specific ceiling while linking the final entitlement to the amount of land that can be developed under the project.
Patta land in the buffer area will qualify for either 800 square yards per acre or eligible Transferable Development Rights, depending on the applicable eligibility conditions. Patta land located in the riverbed or Full Tank Level area will receive 400 square yards per acre or eligible TDR.
The terms also cover people occupying government land under encroachment. They will be allotted 300 square yards per acre. Assigned lands will be handled separately, with the authority deciding the amount of developed land in each case based on the entitlement available under the land-pooling scheme.
The order places all land pooled under the scheme in the Multiple Use Zone. The relevant zoning provisions of the Master Plan will apply to the pooled land, bringing the allocation process within the city’s existing planning framework. A Special Impact Fee will also be charged when building permission is granted, in addition to regular fees and other charges.
The new provisions specifically exclude certain conditions contained in the Telangana government’s 2020 Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority land-pooling order. That earlier order had prescribed, among other conditions, a 60:40 sharing arrangement for HMDA land-pooling projects. The separate terms for Musi lands therefore create a project-specific framework rather than directly applying the earlier arrangement.
The development entity will bear nala or conversion charges on patta lands, along with charges related to changes in land use. It will also pay the registration and stamp-duty costs for plots allotted back to landowners. The fee for these transactions has been fixed at 0.5 per cent of the market value.
The announcement places the administrative mechanics of the Musi project at the centre of the land-pooling process. The different entitlements reflect the government’s classification of land according to ownership status, location and eligibility, while the treatment of riverbed and Full Tank Level land separates areas affected by the river system from other parcels. However, the total area proposed for pooling remains undecided, according to MRDCL director Narasimha Reddy. The authority’s next steps will determine how the terms are applied across the proposed Nagole-Gowrelly stretch.
