E-auction land deals: Deepak Parekh

The five points include merger of the Urban Development Ministry and the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation,streamlining all existing government housing finance programmes and incentives for affordable projects. Housing continues to remain out of the reach of the common man. What is more important at this juncture is to recognise that affordable or low-cost housing is commercially viable,provided the enabling environment is conducive, Parekh said.

According to him,a holistic framework of urban planning cant happen by segregating housing. Similar merger of departments should be done at the state level as well, he said. The longer we drag our feet on passing of the Land Acquisition Bill,the more detrimental it will be in slowing down overall economic development.

After over a decade of the repeal of the ULCRA,there are many properties still in litigation under this Act. Court hearings are not happening under the guise of the Act being repealed,while the properties still remain locked up in dispute under this Act. This situation may well drag on for years. A special Settlement Commission should be constituted to resolve disputed land cases under this Act. This will free up properties that have otherwise been kept out of the supply of developable urban space, Parekh said.