Land pooling mooted for planned growth

Thiruvananthapuram: A one-day consultation programme on the proposed Attukal Development Scheme held here on Sunday mooted the idea of land pooling to ensure planned growth of the temple township and surrounding areas with public participation.

Addressing a seminar organised in this connection, Chief Town Planner (CTP) Eapen Varghese said the scheme could be taken up as a pilot project to ensure the availability of serviced urban land for controlled growth. �Land pooling will result in a win-win situation for the residents and government agencies involved in development of infrastructure, he said.

�The concept involves a voluntary surrender of property to the local self-government institution or development authority which then reconstitutes the individual properties and returns it to the owners with additional benefits like access roads. A portion of the land is deducted for open spaces and development of roads. Land pooling offers a viable solution to the development of the Attukal area that is marked by narrow roads, acute space crunch and haphazard development,� he said.