Difference between revisions of "Urban Land Ceiling Act"
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The Act passed in the year 1976, one of the most progressive laws passed that aimed socialisation of urban land. The objectives of the law were to prevent "concentration of urban land in the hands of the few persons and its speculation and profiteering" and "bringing about an equitable distribution of land to subserve the common good". | The Act passed in the year 1976, one of the most progressive laws passed that aimed socialisation of urban land. The objectives of the law were to prevent "concentration of urban land in the hands of the few persons and its speculation and profiteering" and "bringing about an equitable distribution of land to subserve the common good". | ||
| − | As part of the Twenty-Point Economic Program (TWEP), the government led by Indira Gandhi enacted the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act | + | As part of the Twenty-Point Economic Program (TWEP), the government led by Indira Gandhi enacted the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act on 17th February 1976, with the aim of preventing speculation in urban land and making land available with the government to build affordable housing. Amidst the neo-liberal reforms in the country, in 1999, the central government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed the ULCRA Repeal Act, following which many states repealed the Act. |
| − | government to build affordable housing. | ||
The Act provided a ceiling limit on vacant land that private individuals could hold in urban areas. If individuals held vacant land in excess of the ceiling limit, under ULCRA the state had powers to acquire the land by paying compensation. The Act contained some exemption clauses too. According to the exemption clauses, if the government felt that acquisition of excess land would cause undue hardship to the owners, or felt that it was in public interest to not acquire the land, it could be exempted. Further, if the landowners promised to build housing for "weaker sections" on their land, they could be awarded exemptions. | The Act provided a ceiling limit on vacant land that private individuals could hold in urban areas. If individuals held vacant land in excess of the ceiling limit, under ULCRA the state had powers to acquire the land by paying compensation. The Act contained some exemption clauses too. According to the exemption clauses, if the government felt that acquisition of excess land would cause undue hardship to the owners, or felt that it was in public interest to not acquire the land, it could be exempted. Further, if the landowners promised to build housing for "weaker sections" on their land, they could be awarded exemptions. | ||
Revision as of 18:18, 29 May 2019
The Act passed in the year 1976, one of the most progressive laws passed that aimed socialisation of urban land. The objectives of the law were to prevent "concentration of urban land in the hands of the few persons and its speculation and profiteering" and "bringing about an equitable distribution of land to subserve the common good". As part of the Twenty-Point Economic Program (TWEP), the government led by Indira Gandhi enacted the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act on 17th February 1976, with the aim of preventing speculation in urban land and making land available with the government to build affordable housing. Amidst the neo-liberal reforms in the country, in 1999, the central government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed the ULCRA Repeal Act, following which many states repealed the Act.
The Act provided a ceiling limit on vacant land that private individuals could hold in urban areas. If individuals held vacant land in excess of the ceiling limit, under ULCRA the state had powers to acquire the land by paying compensation. The Act contained some exemption clauses too. According to the exemption clauses, if the government felt that acquisition of excess land would cause undue hardship to the owners, or felt that it was in public interest to not acquire the land, it could be exempted. Further, if the landowners promised to build housing for "weaker sections" on their land, they could be awarded exemptions.
