Case Study of the Day: Land Pooling – Innovative Initiative for Development: Andhra Pradesh

Introduction

Land pooling is a voluntary land consolidation scheme in which landowners agree to pool their land together for development purposes. The Andhra Pradesh government introduced the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) in 2015 to develop the new state capital, Amaravati. The LPS was designed to address the challenges of traditional land acquisition methods, such as forced evictions and delays in compensation.

Under the LPS, landowners were offered a variety of benefits, including:

• A return of 50% of their land in the developed area, in proportion to the land they pooled.
• A development fee, which was calculated based on the size and location of the land pooled.
• Infrastructure development in their villages, such as roads, water supply, and drainage systems.
• Social amenities, such as schools, hospitals, and parks.

Key benefits of the Andhra Pradesh Land Pooling Scheme:

• Voluntary participation: Landowners voluntarily participate in the scheme, which eliminates the need for forced evictions.
• Fair compensation: Landowners receive a fair return of land and other benefits in exchange for pooling their land.
• Inclusive development: The scheme ensures that landowners become stakeholders in the development process and share in the benefits of development.
• Sustainable development: The scheme encourages planned and sustainable development, with a focus on infrastructure development and social amenities.

Impact

• The LPS was a huge success, with over 33,000 acres of land being pooled within a year of its launch. This enabled the government to develop Amaravati rapidly, and the city is now one of the most well-planned and sustainable cities in India.
• The Andhra Pradesh LPS has been lauded by urban planners and policymakers across the country for its innovative approach to land acquisition and development. It has shown that it is possible to develop large-scale projects without resorting to forced evictions or alienating landowners.

Andhra Pradesh Land Pooling Scheme is a successful and innovative initiative that has the potential to revolutionize land acquisition and development in India. However, it is important to address the challenges faced by the scheme to ensure its long-term success.

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