SARBHANG

Although urban development plans were supposed to have been executed a long time back, local area plans for only four dzongkhags of Thimphu, Trashignag, Samtse and Gelephu are ready with the implementation of land pooling technique.

This is primarily because of lack of relevant legislation and the earlier practice of private land acquisition which was unpopular among land owners.

However, the Land Pooling Rules of 2009 is expected to ensure better urban planning and development because land pooling ensures that planning benefits are equally shared. With the earlier system, mobilization of land for urban areas was expensive and difficult.

In the past, land was acquired for urban development like for Bajo town in Wangdue, Dekiling in Bumthang, and Khuruthang in Punakha. Now the government is increasingly pursuing land pooling technique although the old system cannot be completely dropped.

“Today, where plans are prepared, people usually agree with the land pooling,” said the Director of Department of Urban Development and Engineering Services (DUDES), Rinchen Dorji. He said complications mainly surfaced in Thimphu Taba area. The Chief Urban Planner of Thimphu City Corporation, Geley Norbu, said most landowners now understood the benefits of land pooling. Lands are pooled and developed with basic facilities that can be accessed by everyone in the community. “Rather than losing their property, their land value will increase,” he explained.

Today, there are only seven professional urban planners in the country. And it might be difficult to get more people because of the zero growth policy of the Royal Civil Service Commission.

Land pooling technique was first implemented in Rangjung, Trashigang, on a total area of 32 acres. Plans are also prepared for Gelephu in Sarpang, Damphu in Samtse and some parts in Mongar. The technique will be followed in rest of the country. A thromde considers land pooling if it has received written notification from two-thirds of the owners of plots in the area.

All landowners contribute not more than 30 percent of the total land holdings to provide area required for land infrastructure and amenities. In this way, the government saves resources required for land acquisition and the land owners retain their land whose value is enhanced.

An area of land may be considered for pooling if it is in the urban area of a thromde and if the area of developed plots comprises not more than 25 percent of the area of all of the plots. Land not within the urban area could also be pooled if the thromde considers it suitable for future expansion of the urban area.

If a land owner fails to give support for the implementation of a land pooling scheme, the thromde will acquire the plot in accordance with the Land Act of 2007.

By Sonam Pelden in Bhutan Observer

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