Himachal: Eyeing infra development boost, land pooling policy rolled out
The policy focuses on transforming unorganised land arrangements into systematically planned layouts with active participation from landowners, ensuring better urban planning and infrastructure development without compulsory land acquisition.
The state government has introduced Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) Land Pooling Policy-2025 to promote organised and sustainable development in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) area of Solan district. The policy focuses on transforming unorganised land arrangements into systematically planned layouts with active participation from landowners, ensuring better urban planning and infrastructure development without compulsory land acquisition.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the policy allows land to be pooled and developed with the cooperation of landowners, facilitating the provision of essential services and planned layouts in the area. Under this policy, the BBNDA will take the lead in development projects across residential, commercial, institutional, mixed-use and infrastructure sectors in urbanisable areas covered under approved development plans.
The authority will identify land for projects or invite voluntary participation from landowners through public advertisements. Landowners can apply directly or through aggregators, submitting details of their land online or offline within a specified period of at least 60 days, extendable by the authority. Applications will be scrutinised within 30 days and necessary approvals will be sought for project implementation.
Once approved, the layout plan for the project will be published within two months, and landowners offering land will be allotted plots proportionate to the saleable area as per the approved plan. Landowners will then execute a sale deed and hand over possession of the land to the Authority within 60 days of allotment notification. The land will be transferred to the Authority, with the State Government exempting registration fees and stamp duty.
“This policy is expected to streamline development in the BBN area, ensuring improved urban infrastructure and fostering economic growth. By encouraging active participation of landowners, the government aims to achieve sustainable and inclusive development in the area,” the CM added.