**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' response to questions regarding the eligibility criteria, financial obligations, and land ownership related to the Land Pooling Policy in Delhi, under the Delhi Development Act, 1957. It addresses questions raised in Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 993, set to be answered on February 5, 2026. Key information includes the rationale for the two-hectare eligibility threshold, details on landowner participation, and land ownership matters.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Eligibility Criteria for Land Pooling:**
* A limit of two hectares has been set for the Developer Entity (DE) to ensure efficient planning, adequate return of land for development, efficient laying of networks and services, and optimal utilization of land parcels.
* There is no minimum eligibility threshold for landowners participating in land pooling policy.
* **Land Ownership and Participation:**
* Under the Land Pooling Policy, owners of private land pool their land parcels.
* DDA does not maintain land-ownership records of private land in land pooling areas.
* DDA does not have the data of Expression of Interest from individual farmers under the Land Pooling Policy.
* **Financial Obligations:**
* DDA imposes several charges, fees, and levies:
* External Development Charges (EDC).
* Internal Development Charges (IDC).
* Extension charges for the Final Development License (FDL) if development extends beyond the stipulated 10-year period.
* Deficiency Charges paid by the DE/Consortium to the Urban Local Body (ULB) during handover of services.
* Application/scrutiny/processing fee is levied at the time of expression of willingness for participation, during Sector Land Distribution Plan (SLDP) preparation, submission of layout plans, and issuance of Provisional Development License (PDL) and FDL.
* **Beneficiaries of Land Allotment and Mutation:**
* Matters relating to beneficiaries of land allotted under the Twenty-Point Programme (1974) fall under the purview of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
* Details of beneficiaries of land where mutation has been done are as follows: 1791 residential plots and 567 agriculture lands.
* **Ownership Rights:**
* There is no current proposal to confer ownership rights to the beneficiaries under consideration.
* **Landowner Participation Statistics:**
* The year-wise details of willingness for participation since 2019 is as under:
| Year | Total no. of applications received | Area in (Ha.) |
| :--- | :-------------------------------- | :------------ |
| 2019 | 6069 | 6407.58 |
| 2020 | 562 | 521.41 |
| 2021 | 230 | 291.35 |
| 2022 | 242 | 191.96 |
| 2023 | 127 | 96.93 |
| 2024 | 145 | 124.13 |
| 2025 | 184 | 189.21 |
| | 7559 | 7822.57 |
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Developer Entity (DE)/Consortium**
* **Impact:**
* Subject to a two-hectare limit to ensure efficient planning and adequate return of land for development.
* Required to pay Deficiency Charges to the ULB at the time of handing over the services.
* **Action Required:**
* Adhere to the two-hectare limit for development entities.
* Ensure timely payment of Deficiency Charges.
**Stakeholder: Participating Landowners**
* **Impact:**
* Subject to financial obligations, including EDC, IDC, extension charges, and application/scrutiny/processing fees.
* **Action Required:**
* Be aware of all applicable charges and fees.
**Stakeholder: Beneficiaries of land allotted under the Twenty-Point Programme (1974)**
* **Impact:**
* Currently, there is no proposal to confer ownership rights to the beneficiaries.
* **Action Required:**
* None
Key Entities Referenced
Land Pooling Policy: A policy enabling landowners to pool land for planned development.
Delhi Development Authority (DDA): The agency responsible for planning and development in Delhi and administering the Land Pooling Policy.
Delhi Development Act, 1957: The legal framework under which the Land Pooling Policy operates.
Delhi: The region where the Land Pooling Policy is applicable.
Twenty-Point Programme (1974): A previous program whose beneficiaries' rights are questioned in relation to the Land Pooling Policy.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 993
TO BE ANSWERED ON FEBRUARY 05, 2026
ELIGIBILITY FOR LAND POOLING POLICY
NO. 993. SHRI RAHUL GANDHI:
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the rationale for fixing the eligibility threshold of two hectares for the Land
Pooling Policy under the Delhi Development Act, 1957;
(b) the number of farmers owning two or more hectares of land in Delhi and
the share of land held by such farmers in comparison to the total land
eligible for land pooling;
(c) the details of the financial obligations imposed on participating
landowners, including development charges or other levies;
(d) the details of Expressions of Interest received from individual farmers
including those accepted, withdrawn or pending and complaints received
since 2019, year wise;
(e) whether the design of the Policy has resulted in concentration of pooled
land with a limited number of large private developers and if so, the details
thereof;
(f) whether beneficiaries of land allotted under the Twenty-Point Programme
(1974) in Delhi enjoy full ownership rights, if so, the details thereof and if
not, the reasons therefor; and
(g) whether the Government proposes to confer such ownership rights to the
beneficiaries and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)
(a) Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has informed that the limit of two
hectares has been set for the Developer Entity to ensure efficient planning
and adequate return of land for development under this policy. This limit
is to provide efficient laying of networks & services, roads, public parks
& greens, neighborhood level facilities, to avoid small sub-division of
plots, financial viability for development and optimal utilization of land
parcels. However, there is no minimum eligibility threshold for
participating in land pooling policy.
(b) DDA has informed that under the Land Pooling Policy, owners of private
land pool their land parcels. The land-ownership records of private land in
land pooling areas are not maintained by DDA.
(c) DDA has provided the following list of charges, fees and levies:
…2/--2-
i. External Development Charges (EDC)
ii. Internal Development Charges (IDC)
iii. Extension charges on account of extension of the Final Development
License (FDL) if the development is not completed within stipulated time
period of 10 years as per the Regulations of 2018.
iv. Deficiency Charges will be paid by the Developer Entity (DE)/Consortium
to Urban Local Body (ULB) at the time of handing over of the services to
the ULB.
v. Application/scrutiny /processing fee at the time of expression of
willingness for participation, during preparation of Sector Land
Distribution Plan (SLDP), during submission of layout plan of the sector for
approval by DDA and during issuance of Provisional Development License
(PDL) and FDL.
(d) DDA has informed that there is no provision of Expression of Interest
from Individual Farmers under the Land Pooling Policy. However, the
landowners express their willingness for participation under the Land
Pooling Policy, the year-wise details of which since 2019 are as under:
Year Total no. of Area in (Ha.)
applications received
2019 6069 6407.58
2020 562 521.41
2021 230 291.35
2022 242 191.96
2023 127 96.93
2024 145 124.13
2025 184 189.21
7559 7822.57
(e) DDA has informed that under the Land Pooling Policy, owners of
private land pool their land parcels. The land-ownership records of private
land in land pooling areas are not maintained by DDA.
(f) The matter comes under the purview of Government of National
Capital Territory of Delhi. Further, Delhi Government has informed that the
details of beneficiaries where mutation have been done are as mentioned
below:
Sr. No. Districts Residential Agriculture
Plots Lands
1. West ----- 140
2. North 43 214
3. South 749 213
4. South-West 999 -----
Total 1791 567
(g) Presently, there is no such proposal under consideration.
*****