Himachal reduces change of land-use fee to woo investment

The Himachal Pradesh government has reduced the fee for change of land use for industry to attract more investment in the state, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today.
Presiding over a review meeting of Town and Country Planning Department here today, he said that the government had given assurance in the Vidhan Sabha to reduce the fees on change of land use to motivate the industrial houses.
The overall floor area ratio (FAR) has been increased to 1.75, from 0.50 earlier for small scale industries having plot area of 250 to 500 square meters.
The ratio for services/light scale industries having plot area of 501 to 1000 squarer meters has been increased to 1.50 from 0.50 earlier.

For large and heavy scale industries having plot area above 5000 square meters, the ratio has been increased 1.00 from from 0.60 earlier.
He said the allowed height of buildings has been increased for organised housing projects across the state which now will be 25 metres in hill areas and 30 metres for plain areas.

Singh said the government was now contemplating to further increase the allowed height of buildings in organised colonies in plain areas subject to geologically stable strata, in order to reduce the pressure on scarce land resources.
The Chief Minister said that the planning permission fees had been reduced by half.

The economically weaker sections along with BPL and Indira Awas Yojana beneficiaries had been fully exempted from paying change of land use as well as planning permission fees.
The bonafide residents of the area need not to pay change of land use fee for residential activity.
The government would make appropriate amendments in the HP Town & Country Planning Act accordingly.