G.O. (Ms) No. 11, Regularisation of Unauthorized Layouts in Private Lands Outside Chennai Metropolitan Area, 2006

What the order governs

Government Order (Ms) No. 11 dated 19 January 2006, issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAI) Department, governs unauthorized layouts in private lands in urban areas outside the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It responds to the large number of unapproved layouts lacking roads, street lights, drainage and other basic infrastructure.

The framework affects plot owners, layout landowners, Municipal Corporations outside Chennai, Municipalities and former Town Panchayats.

Classification of land divisions and layouts

Government Order (Ms) No. 11 provides different treatment based on the size and date of the land division:

• A subdivision containing up to eight plots, whether for a family partition or another purpose, is not treated as a layout.
• Unauthorized layouts established before 1 January 1980 are treated as equivalent to approved layouts. Open Space Reserve charges are not collected, but the local body may collect development charges for deficient infrastructure and applicable deposits and connection charges.
• Individual plots in unauthorized layouts made after 1 January 1980 but before 19 January 2006 may be considered for regularisation if the stated conditions are met.

Conditions for individual plots

Government Order (Ms) No. 11 requires the following for plots in eligible unauthorized layouts:

• The layout must abut a public road or a road in a regularised layout.
• The plot must abut a road at least 16 feet, or 4.8 metres, wide.
• The plot must comply with Coastal Regulation Zone, civil aviation, Ministry of Defence and other regulations.
• The plot must not be in an area prohibited for residential development, including hazardous zones and areas around crushers and quarries.
• The local body calculates infrastructure development charges for the whole layout using the prevalent schedule of rates and recovers the proportionate amount from each plot owner in one lump sum.

Open space, amenities and approvals

Government Order (Ms) No. 11 requires 10 per cent of the layout area to be reserved as Open Space Reserve. Each plot owner must provide a proportionate share of that land or pay 50 per cent of the cost of any deficient extent, calculated using the applicable guideline value described in the order.

Regularisation fees remain Rs.20 per square metre in Corporation areas, Rs.10 per square metre in Municipality areas and Rs.3 per square metre in former Town Panchayats.

Urban Local Bodies may provide common infrastructure in phases after collecting at least 50 per cent of total development charges. Individual building plan approval may be granted only after the plot owner pays the entire proportionate Open Space Reserve deficit and development charges. Urban Local Bodies must place the order before their Councils for adoption and report their action to the Commissioner of Municipal Administration.