JAIPUR: Builders and urban planning professionals are urging the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) to reconsider setback regulations for plots within the city’s five proposed Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) corridors. They argue that strict regulations may limit available developable land, raise project costs, and weaken the effectiveness of the policy.
A proposal submitted to JDA Commissioner Siddharth Mahajan on Wednesday stated that should the Rajasthan government’s TOD framework impose uniform setback requirements, it may deter real estate investment in these corridors.
“The state’s policy mandates that plots in these areas maintain side and rear setbacks as per existing building codes, which can extend up to 12 meters. We are asking for flexibility in this provision, proposing that exceptions be made for three specific categories,” said Anmol Devendra, a lawyer representing a coalition of builders and urban planners.
Experts recommend adopting a more adaptable approach akin to the TOD models in cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi. They claim that reduced setback requirements would enhance land-use efficiency and improve project viability for developers and property owners.
“We propose a reduction of 30% to 40% in setback regulations for plots adjacent to public parks, green belts, playgrounds, or water bodies on the rear or one or more sides of the property,” stated a town planner associated with the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department.
The proposal also advised that plots located next to rear roads should treat their rear sides as secondary frontages, thus aligning rear setbacks with front setback norms.
Additionally, experts requested unique provisions for plots bordering government, railway, and utility properties, excluding defense land. For these areas, they recommended minimizing rear setbacks to the minimum fire separation standards.
“Given that this is a pan-India policy, it’s beneficial to ensure uniformity with regulations adopted by other states. Otherwise, the TOD policy risks failure, or builders might resort to manipulating government bodies to increase Floor Area Ratios (FARs) and Built-up Area Ratios (BARs), ultimately placing an extra burden on property owners,” noted builder Amit Surana.
