AREIDA welcomes nod to TDR applications by Assam government

GUWAHATI: AREIDA (Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developer's Association) has welcomed the approval of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) applications. TDR certificates were issued at a function in Dispur by the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ashok Singhal, in the presence of high-ranking officials of the department. AREIDA President P.K. Sharma said that these norms, which were notified in October 2022, will make it possible to widen the narrow roads of Guwahati and other towns in Assam, as well as free eco-sensitive zones like water bodies in the greater public interest. TDR is a means of acquiring land for road widening and other public amenities without any fiscal burden on the government, making the whole objective viable.

A TDR is a certificate allotting a constructible area as compensation for land surrendered or taken over by the government for public benefit. Guwahati, in particular, has been suffering from the bane of narrow roads for decades. Successive Master Plans have proposed to widen each and every road, whether existing or new, and mandated for the past 30 years that all buildings, land, and front margins had to be left vacant for surrender to the government for road widening as proposed in the master plan.

Unfortunately, the government could never acquire this land due to fund constraints, and the land remained vacant, the intent remained only on paper, and no road widening ever took place. The government can now pay for land acquisition with a TDR certificate without actual monetary payment. This TDR certificate will entitle the holder to construct additional areas on the existing plot or plots in other locations, or even sell the certificate to a third party. A floor area ratio of 325 would be allowed to enable the holder to accommodate this extra TDR area. This is a very welcome development, and we expect that all roads in Guwahati and other urban areas of Assam will be widened to make these cities more liveable. Sharma said.

AREIDA also requested the government clear all pending applications for the TOD, which was notified at the same time a year ago. TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) aims to promote easy accessibility to public transport within walking distance by encouraging high-density residential, commercial, and mixed-use development near mass transport nodes and major routes. Floor area ratios up to 400 are allowed for this purpose. It aims to have a larger percentage of the population living and commuting to their destinations within easy access distance to mass public transport facilities, which is welcome.

Also Read: East Guwahati Police District Rescued 17 Cattle, One Arrested

Also Watch: