Special interest in land pooling?

27 June 2008

Land pooling is a must for the delivery of necessary services and land owners have reluctantly accepted the relocation of plots away from the Babesa expressway. Some landowners have, however, become skeptical after finding that there are constructions coming up on their earlier plots.

The relocation of land from commercial areas, the clubbing of plots and the lengthy, cumbersome process entailed in getting paper work done has several land owners disgruntled with the Thimphu City Corporation (TCC). Some even suspect foul play and accuse the TCC of not being transparent.

Choden (name changed) had sent money from abroad to a relative who purchased a commercial plot of half an acre adjacent to the Babesa expressway. When she returned from abroad, she found her plot had been relocated to an uneven residential area below Lungtenphu.

“My land was later shifted to what I call a residential area and now what I know is there’s a difference on the land value between commercial and residential areas and with the land pooling, it makes it even smaller, this is dismaying,” said Choden, adding that compensation would be a better alternative.

According to the TCC, in the precinct (zone)-I and – precinct II areas, there had been some plot-shifting from their original areas because different zones had different requirements. Another land owner, Tshering (name changed) is not happy with her land being clubbed with other four others.

“My plots, which were inherited, are scattered within the same area and if it were clubbed together, it would be fine but I don’t like them being clubbed with others because to build a house it will have to be combined,” she said.

Tshering was not aware of her plots being clubbed and came to know of it around mid 2007, when she had gone to the TCC to check the thrams.

“Every time I approached them I’m told that they’ll look into the matter but I see no initiatives being taken. I think they are making excuses. I feel if they don’t do it now then it will be difficult after the handing over of the plots,” she said. The TCC maintains that the relocation and shifting of plots were inevitable and would ultimately benefit the land owners because of the building of infrastructure and essential services like water.

“When an area is developed with proper planning, people won’t get 100 percent satisfaction as they don’t see the other necessities that will add to the income whatever is done with the plot,” said the Tshering Phuntsho , the Chief Urban Planner.

An explanation put up by the TCC was that small plots were clubbed as per the Thimphu Structural Plan and unless one had 4,000 square feet in precinct-II, construction was not allowed, which was one reason why plots got displaced or clubbed.

“In this kind of cases we cannot do anything but there are cases where plots have been relocated at the steep slope, in this situation, the TCC has looked into the matter and readjusted in better locations wherever possible,” he said.

Tshering Phuntsho, said precinct-I was seen as primarily for commercial purposes and it was termed as high density mix use development, whereas the precinct-II was a medium mix use, where shops are allowed only on the ground floor on 40 sq meters.

“The whole purpose of the land pooling exercise is to rationalize irregular plots and make it into urban plots for development purposes,” he said. However, one land owner, requesting anonymity, said land pooling was more of land shifting and in a few cases it had more to do with personal interests.

The TCC stated that when land owners expressed grievances, they revisited the area plan and if it was a genuine case, they would submit the concerns to their sub-committee and then the municipal committee.

“Most cases have been resolved except for few, but we are working on it. Our aim is to implement the plan as soon as possible, so the cooperation from the people is vital, “he said.

By Tashi Wangmo

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