BOKAKHAT,ASSAM : The real estate boom has engulfed the country in totality and the city of Guwahati is no exception to it. The city has no room to expand and this has led to concentration of all construction work within the city limit, thus changing the city's landscape drastically, realty sector sources here said. With the city reaching its saturation point, any construction would mean putting an undesirable pressure on the already scarce common amenities. The scarcity of common facilities and amenities, such as open spaces, playgrounds, drinking water, garbage dumping, etc., which is the responsibly of the government to provide, has made the state policy makers to think seriously of developing the city's suburbs. Creation of satellite townships would be an important agenda in the new master plan which is to be notified soon, said Guwahati Development Department minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma. With hills and the mighty Brahmaputra guarding the city of three sides, there is very little for the city to expand, except westwards. Acknowledging the fact that city builders, most of whom are first generation entrepreneurs, find themselves capital starved to develop satellite townships, Sarma assured government's support and help to real estate players if they evince interest in taking up such projects. The government will make available land, subsidised electricity, water and other incentives and subsidies for real estate developers who wish to think beyond the city, Sarma said. "The city is already overloaded and the civic amenities are at their optimum utilisation. The city has to expand, there is no other alternative. Government is eager to help Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers Association (AREIDA) in developing and expanding Guwahati" he said. In order to discourage any further construction work within the city limits, Sarma said the new building byelaws, 2006, are against the entry of any new real estate player in the city. New players are most welcome to develop satellite townships or other cities of the state than overcrowding the capital city, Sarma said. Dispelling fears that the draft Assam Apartments Act, 2006, is 'anti- builder', the minister said while drafting of any act, the government has to keep the interest of the civil society as a whole in mind. Nevertheless, the draft act is nothing against builders, he added. The draft Apartments Act has been alleged by city builders as anti builder. The draft act, which is yet to be notified, may lead to confusion, say builders. They say it is anti-builder and badly drafted. It is certain to face legal problems when notified, said AK Pansari, a city builder and also a specialist in building laws. City builders also demand that the existing apartments be kept out of the new act. The minister said the draft apartment act is open to amendments and he will have discussions with the city builders before notifying it. He made it clear categorically that the basic issue of no individual right to apartments is not negotiable. According to the draft act, it is the society of individuals who will have collective right over the apartment. He also said that once the builder sells 60 per cent of the apartment, he loses any right over the open spaces of the apartments. He also justified penal provisions in the act against errant builders, an irritant for the builders, saying that honest builders have nothing to worry about penal provisions. The government has also decided to reduce the stamp duty on transfer of property from existing 10 per cent to 5 per cent and to reduce registration of properties before the notification of the act. KOUSHIK HAZARIKA http://asom.co.nr
