NAGPUR: In a groundbreaking initiative in Maharashtra, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has commenced the distribution of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) certificates to original landowners whose properties have been encroached by slum residents. This initiative, spearheaded under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, aims to address a long-standing conflict between landowners and encroachers.
For years, private land plots in Nagpur were taken over by slum clusters, hindering landowners from developing their properties while residents lacked legal rights due to insufficient documentation. This state government scheme seeks to resolve both issues—landowners will receive TDR certificates that can be sold for financial compensation, while slum residents will be regularized and granted lease rights.
On Tuesday, municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari presented TDR certificates to 19 landholders from mouza Babulkheda during a brief ceremony attended by Deputy Commissioner Milind Meshram, Town Planner Rituraj Jadhav, and CDSF Head Leena Buddhe. With this, the NMC has become the first municipal body in Maharashtra to implement such compensation for landowners.
The Babulkheda area encompasses 43 private plots, along with an 8-acre parcel owned by Indraprastha Society, all affected by the Ramteke Nagar slum. Nineteen individual landowners, along with the Indraprastha Society, applied for the TDR, which has now been allocated based on plot size. Remaining landowners will also have the opportunity to apply.
This scheme also benefits slum residents. The NMC plans to allocate the land for housing, acquire it via TDR, and register it under NMC’s name before issuing government-approved leases to the encroachers. Permanent leases will soon be formally distributed by Fadnavis, providing much-needed legal security to thousands of slum families.
