Realty to survive in future

Individual House for sale in Bangalore | Plots for sale in Bangalore

The growth rate of the country’s population is prodigions. The Indian population grows at a every ten years rate of more than ten per cent, naturally needs to find a corresponding number of new homes over and above the existing number of residences of the previous ten-year period. In addition to the above core need, at least ten per cent of the existing number of houses require the need for reconstruction or replacement, to stand up to the changing tastes of youth who inherit the elder generation's homes. These two factors are considered to be favourable to the growth and sustenance of Realty Sector and constitute the mainstay of Real Estate Business demand structure.

The second factor makes very little demand for additional space. It creates only demand for construction activity. Old buildings are extended within existing land area or demolished and built vertically with more space added through the means of enhanced FSI.

Obviously the need of the increased population for housing units creates demand for new land for construction. But the availability of land for new construction has been shrinking over the past few decades, which forces the Governments to enhance the Floor Space Index for construction in many major urban areas. To add to this unavoidable phenomenon, Governments both at State and Central levels have been voraciously gobbling up all available lands under the pretext of Economic Development and Industrialization.

In the fond desire of generating sustainable employment State Industrial Development Corporations and others of the kind have taken away vast tracts of land out of the market, for preferential allotment to Industries. In spite of such supportive measures, an unconscionably high number of industrial units are today lying sick, with the land and other resources invested in them becoming unproductive. In addition, a high percentage of the developed industrial plots are lying unsold with the corporations. If the prescribed price of the plots for allotment of these plots, one will be wondering why these plots are remaining unsold.

Even with a conservative estimation, it could be said that thousands of hectares of developed industrial plots in most States are lying unsold, despite the fact of ridiculously low prices at which these are proposed to be sold.

There is something that does not meet the naked eye behind this queer phenomenon. There is a strong case for moratorium on further acquisition of land for industrialization until all the idle plots are allotted to deserving units.

Then we are witnessing there are the lands acquired for Special Economic Zones and Port Development. The special economic zones have run into a total failure. Everywhere there are erupting agitations against new land acquisitions. Cumulatively, all these factors join together effecting in the reduction of land available for the growth of new construction on the housing sector. Some serious steps need to be taken to address concerns of the citizens about land for their essential housing needs, which remain one of the three basic requirements for any human being.

The practical measures as mentioned above could well create a favourable situation of easing out the problem of land availability for new construction. The Policy makers while examining and formulating policy options, should keep in their minds the interests of the small dealers and facilitators. Adequate reserve land should be kept for the expanding growth of housing units which has to match the increasing population. This will forestall the future problems.