Don't Buy Land, Pool It

As the time advances, the Indian cities are also stretching their peripheries at a larger scale. The need for capacity-building in economic activities, such as infrastructure, also increases which ultimately makes the government resort to land acquisition.

Since many years, land acquisition has been a contentious policy arena because land is a state subject.  

However, as different states have varying laws, their reference rates are consistently irregular and mostly de-linked from property market realities. There are few instances where state governments have auctioned such acquired land to private parties with a huge price rise which is in a sharp contrast to the compensation paid to original landowners. 

With the government and private players having taken over the economic benefits arising from land, land acquisition has remained a combative issue. It has often led to people's actions, protests and public interest litigations over the renunciations of the benefits arising from land and to its original owners. 

The unceasing murky situation has compelled state governments to search for other alternative procedures of sourcing and developing land that can permit landowners to partner in and get the benefits from the development method.

Let's enter the concept of land pooling

Largely, land pooling is a means of regulating the unbalanced land distribution by bringing uneven land holdings together to establish a larger land parcel. The land pooling can result in impartial and effectual land development. So, the infrastructure developed on that land can be given back to the original title owners after applying a method. 

With the process of land pooling, the government can have a robust way to create and maintain land title ownership records. In short, the method will generate a transparent registry system, which will even augment land revenues for the local authorities to undertake further projects for civic advantage.

Also read: Commercial Use of Common Facilities Can Land Developers in Trouble

With the participation of central and state governments in policy preparation, announcements, sanctions and formation of working models, the land pooling will create a proper valuation device to encourage the involvement of landowners.
In addition, the land pooling method creates an environment for strategic development through infrastructural projects supporting a city's centric growth. It is also an effective way of merging irregular land holdings into higher developed units, which can give a leg-up to urban growth. 

By making landowners as stakeholders in the development of land through unlocking of their land value and giving the majority of the benefits to them, the state can form a model of social empowerment and growth while certifying sustainable development. 

With the numerous benefits of land pooling, the willing participation of private players with the equal involvement of the government, will make the entire method more robust and clear in the land development, thus, leaving no chance for forgery in the matter for ownership.