Ban on registration of unapproved layouts to continue

The failure of the Government in coming up with a comprehensive policy and frame rules to address the menace of mushrooming unapproved layouts and indiscriminate conversion of farm lands into housing lots, led the first bench comprising acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice R Mahadevan to adjourn the case for further hearing to March 28. 

When a batch of PILs from realtors, developers and individuals came up for hearing on Monday, the additional advocate general Ayyadurai told the court that the Government was in its final leg of framing the rules. He also told the bench that the Government has proposed to categorise the lands into four divisions-recognised, unrecognised, wet land and dry land and that the rules were being framed accordingly. 

However, the bench asked the Additional Advocate General (AAG) to come up with a policy decision at an early date keeping in view the different categories of public. 

It may be noted that the September 9, 2016 ban has brought the thriving unapproved housing plot sector, which had expanded to every part of the state without adequate and proportionate state control, to a grinding halt. 

Since the ban has also put the registering authorities personally liable for action in case any unapproved layouts and buildings constructed on them were to be registered, several lakh unapproved residential plots are idling resulting in many approaching the court to remove the ban. However, the court has resisted any dilution of the ban on the basis that it would take the matter back to square one. It has also been insisting that the way out should not be a piecemeal exercise and a comprehensive solution was needed. 

The ban had come about based on a plea moved by advocate and activist Elephant G Rajendran, to stop indiscriminate conversion of agricultural lands into housing layouts.