Dice loaded in favour of big builders
With new Punjab colony policy in place, small-time realtors may soon be edged out, says Chitleen K. Sethi
The Punjab government’s new policy for the establishment of residential colonies in the state has certainly not been received with accolades that had been expected. While the policy has simplified a large number of counter-productive issues that were involved in setting up of residential colonies by private builders in the state, the policy is bound to hit the medium and small colonisers hard. From the buyers’ point of view, this could mean access to only high-priced housing facilities in the larger cities.

Local area plan to boost realty
Regulation means towns will have better infrastructure, says Jupinderjit Singh
Real estate activity in the region is set to get a fillip with the Punjab government finally notifying the local area plan for Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Amritsar districts. So are the controversies.

Real estate sector seeks industry status
RBI policies have affected market sentiments, CREDAI director tells R. Suryamurthy
Increasing emphasis on infrastructure is giving a fillip to the real estate boom. However, this fast-paced growth has resulted in high prices in the housing sector as the demand and supply mismatch continues.

TAX tips
Profit from natural vegetation is not farm income
Q. I have sold an agricultural land, which is within the limits of municipality as laid down in the Notification No. 9447 (F. No. 164/3/87-ITA-1) dated January 6, 1994. Apart from the agricultural land, I have also sold some trees in the relevant year, which had grown naturally and spontaneously without the intervention of any agricultural process.

HOME DECOR
No child’s play this!
Designing kid’s room needs a lot of imagination, says Devendra Malik
When it comes to designing children’s room, possibilities are endless. Ideas for kid’s room designing include using colours, prints, and themes. Keep in mind that there are some major areas of interior designing and a child’s room is no exception. These areas include floors, walls, lighting, accessories, furniture, plants, and fabrics. Starting with the floor, decide what type of floor covering you will use in the room.

GREEN HOUSE
Hedge in privacy
Satish Narula discusses a few plant varieties that are excellent screens
The hedge is the face of the house and may also be called the frame of a canvas called the grass lawn. But privacy is the basic concern. A good hedge comes handy where there are restrictions of raising concrete walls beyond a limit. The concept of hedging is not new but what makes it a better privacy tool is the proper selection of planting material as also the beauty factor.


Subprime woes may hit India, says RBI
RBI says emerging markets like India can become a casualty "given the herd mentality"
The Reserve Bank of India has said continued defaults in the US housing loan market pose a risk to India, whose capital market has already taken a hit on fears of the credit crisis spreading to other economies.

Buzz on Bourses
DLF ties up for luxury hotel
Mumbai: Real estate developer DLF Ltd has tied up with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to operate a luxury hotel at DLF Golf Links in Gurgaon. The hospitality arm of the company, DLF Hotels has signed an agreement with Four Seasons for the 230-room hotel in Gurgaon, the Delhi-based realty firm said in a communiqué to the BSE.