Odisha wants to require a 30 foot access road before development plans can be approved

The Odisha Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department has proposed making the approval of development plans in urban areas contingent upon a 30 foot access road.

When the rule becomes law, it will require more money than ever before from anyone looking to build homes in metropolitan areas.

According to the proposal, the land owner will be required to provide a strip of land half the width of the shortfall width to make the width of the access road at least 9.0 metres, on the side that abuts the street, in order to maintain the minimum street width of 9.0 metres, if the width of the access road is less than 9.0 metres but more than 6.0 metres.

In the event that a plot has been unlawfully divided into sub-plots prior to the effective date of the Odisha Development Authorities (Planning and Building Standards) Amendment Rules, 2022, any application for the regularisation of such a sub-plot, if made, shall be subject to the following conditions:

The Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (4 of 1882) requires the landowner to give the sliver of land to the Urban Local Body or the Local Authority as a free gift through a recorded deed.

Additionally, according to a department notification, “where the width of the means of access is less than 9.0 metres, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of the aforementioned sub-plot shall be calculated according to the minimum street width.”

“Where the width of the means of access is less than 9.0 metres, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of the aforementioned sub-plot shall be considered according to the minimum street width existing previous to free-gifting of strip of land for road expansion purpose,” the department’s announcement continued.

The applicant must pay a compounding fee equal to 15% of the sub-benchmark plot’s value as well as any other fees necessary to comply with the sub-divisional layout requirements.

The land-use specified in the Development Plan, the current rules or regulations governing planning and building standards, as well as any other provisions in effect at the time of the application will all be taken into consideration when a request for building plan approval over the regularised sub-plot is made.