Religion, Caste And Tribe Based Reservation - 4

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<b>Builders say no to quota in layouts</b>


Hyderabad, May 9: <b>Developers are up in arms against the state government directive to allot space in private layouts and apartments to lower and middle income groups and economically weaker sections.</b>

The government had recently issued a GO on 20 per cent allotment of space to these sections in properties developed on one acre or more in Huda limits.

Builders say social responsibility cannot be enforced on them in such a manner and the reservation proposal was not feasible. They want the government to withdraw the proposal. The Andhra Pradesh Builders Forum President, Mr C. Shekhar Reddy, said if the government was genuinely interested in providing accommodation to poor and middle class sections, it should provide more incentives.

“We are paying crores of rupees every year to the government in form of taxes and other charges,” he said. “Since the government does not provide any concessions on any of these charges, it has no right to demand concessions from us.” The government had made the proposal to bring about more “class equality” in elite residential colonies.

Sources said the government was not amused at the prospect of exclusive rich colonies coming up in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. But builders said the government proposal lacked sincerity since Huda and the Andhra Pradesh Housing Board were acting as real estate agents, raising crores of rupees through auction of government land. The ‘quota for poor’ directive was given in the guidelines issued recently in the revised master plan of Huda.

As per the guidelines, 10 per cent space should be allotted to weaker sections with a maximum plinth area of 220 square feet for each unit. Likewise, 5 per cent of the total built up area should be developed for lower income groups with maximum plinth area of 440 sq. ft for each unit, and another 5 per cent for middle income group with 660 sq. ft plinth area for each unit. For layout development schemes in 10 acres and more, the builders have to reserve five percent of the total area and give it “free of cost” to Huda.

Another 5 per cent land has to be reserved for housing accommodation to economically weaker sections, 10 per cent to LIG and 10 per cent for MIG. In case of land pooling schemes or townships in 50 acres and more, the developers have to surrender 5 per cent of land to Huda and allot space to other sections.

“On what basis is the government asking us to give 5 per cent land free of cost to Huda?” asked an agitated builder. Mr Jaiveer Reddy of Ashoka Developers said a delegation of builders would meet the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, and urge him to withdraw these stipulations. According to Mr Rao of Manbhum Constructions, housing projects in one acre or more within Huda limits would come to a standstill because of these regulations.

<b>“When the government has agencies such as Huda, APHB, SC, ST, BC and minorities corporations, why shift the onus on the private sector?” he asked.</b> The builders pointed out that the directive to sell flats in such complexes to the poor and middle class did not make sense since they would not be able to afford them. “If these sections are not able to buy the units, will the government purchase them?” asked Mr Shekhar Reddy.

However, a senior official in Municipal Administration and Urban Development said that the stipulations were approved by the state cabinet.<b> “The state government is only implementing the Centre’s guidelines under Jawaharlal Nehru National urban Renewal Mission,” he said</b>. “The private sector also has to share social responsibility. But we are open to suggestions.”