Malls, hotels to replace lush open fields along Mah highways

One of the main advantages of going on a road trip besides leaving the chaos of the city behind is the rare opportunity to feel the rush of fresh clean air on your face as you cruise along the highway and admire the endless stretches of lush green fields that abound on both sides of the road.

But all this may just become a distant memory for most of us, if the BJP-led government at the helm of affairs in Maharashtra has its way.

In a major policy turnaround that defies logic, the state government has announced its decision to amend existing land laws to unlock land hitherto reserved for agriculture for the development of integrated wayside amenities such as hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, ATMs and public toilets along state and national highways.

The new notification follows close on the heels of the government's earlier decision to hike building rights on agricultural land for industry as well as public medical and educational institutes.

According to government sources, these changes form part of the government's initiative to encourage the ease of doing business in the state under its - Make in Maharashtra - policy.

As per the amendments, wayside amenities will now be permitted to leverage upto five times the prevailing building rights on agricultural land allowing the development of mixed amenities with a minimum area of 10,000 sq mts bordering national and state highways.

According to government sources, the allotted floor space index would be capped at a maximum of 0.5, which effectively means that only ground plus one structure would be permitted. However developers will be allowed to procure additional building rights on payment of a premium to the tune of 30 percent of the prevailing land rate.

Defending the state's decision, urban development secretary Nitin Kareer reiterated that the decision has been taken to 'promote' tourism in the state, adding that it is expected to encourage the development of improved facilities for travelers and also encourage the participation by private players in such projects.

The decision has already caused a stir in non-government circles with a slew of rights groups and eco organizations flaying the government for pandering to the interests of private developers in the state at the cost of farmers' rights.

Critics of the move further stated that the new amendment would result in a chaos of unplanned development along arterial highways wherein land would be diverted from poor farmers for commercial gain by a coterie of developers and other interested parties.

The list of amenities which will be permitted to leverage the additional building rights include: public toilets, bank ATMs, petrol pumps, parking lots, motels, restaurants and hypermarkets. On-site employees will also be allowed access to auto-service centres, medical stores, sales offices and canteens.

Other essential services including police outposts, freight bridges and highway ambulances will also be allowed to utilize the additional building rights, pending clearance from the local planning authority or district collector.

The new rules will apply to areas that include the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) and several cities in the state including: Pune, Nagpur, Sangli, Kolhapur, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Jalgaon, Amravati and Chandrapur.

So the next time you take a drive into the open countryside, don't be surprised to find a string of commercial outlets blocking your view to the greens beyond, it's the government's way of ensuring that though you may have left the city far behind, its 'amenities' are always within your reach.