Application of land management tools in combination: Utilizing the Indian urban land and ceiling act and the plot reconstitution technique

Abstract

Summary The effects of the Indian Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act of 1976 has been contrary to the original intentions of socializing urban land, moderating land prices and encouraging low‐income housing. The plot reconstitution technique, which provides a mechanism for temporary pooling of different land holdings for their unified planning and subdivision, and collection of betterment charges to finance the costs of infrastructural provision, has likewise been constrained by long procedural delays, inadequate cost‐recovery, and weak implementation. This paper attempts to explore some silver linings along with otherwise dark edges of the Urban Land Ceiling Act with a view to assessing the prospects of using these two instruments in combination. The paper highlights the salient features of the two instruments of urban land management under review, before presenting their uses, limitations and prospects. It concludes with showing the prospects for a positive approach to urban land management under the joint efforts of the two instruments.