The Maharashtra government on Tuesday declared that allocation of land for purposes other than farming would from now on be based on the market value of the plots and their location.
The change in policy comes on the heels of the raging controversy over the allotment of a prime plot at a throwaway price to actor and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini.
However, the State government has clarified that the new regulation will not apply in Ms Malini’s case. The plot in Andheri will be handed over to the actor at the pre-decided value, which was based on the ready reckoner rates of 1976.
State Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse said the decision was made a while ago an was not influenced by the controversy and over the plot allotted to Ms Malini.
“Nobody should read too much into the decision only because it is being implemented now. We did nothing wrong in giving land to Ms Malini; everything is according to the rulebook.”
The Revenue Department also clarified that though the 1983 policy under which Ms Malini was given a plot is under review and will be changed, the decision on her land was taken on December 23, 2015. “New policy cannot be applied with retrospective effect. Hence, she will be given land as per the 1976 rates,” said Mr. Khadse.
Last week, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed to The Hindu that the 1983 policy, under which prime plots are given at concessional rates to trusts and individuals to establish educational institutes such as schools and colleges, hospitals, cultural centres has been scrapped. Mr Fadnavis said the new policy would be based on current market rates.
Accordingly, the State Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a decision to finalise the market rates of government properties based on their location in urban, semi-urban and rural areas.
Officials said the State has lost considerable revenue in the past. “The land was handed over or leased out as per agricultural rates, but were used for non-agricultural purposes,” an official said. For urban areas, the market value will be decided under the different heads of residential, industrial or educational in the Development Plan (DP) of the city.
Mr Khadse said, “The land rates as per government notifications differ for every label. From now on, ready reckoner rates will be charged from trusts and individuals that use land for non-agricultural purposes.”
The same rule will also apply to semi-urban areas.
Size and quality
In the case of rural areas, in the absence of DP, the land rates differ according to the farm land’s size and quality. While prices vary for non-farm lands, the rates also differ for those near highways and non-agricultural land for industrial use. “From now on, market rates will be decided after considering these aspects,” said Mr Khadse.
Manu Kumar Srivastava, Principal Secretary for Revenue, said the move is limited to fixing the mechanism to decide the market rate while giving away government land.
“Whether the concession should be given or not is a policy matter. The extent of it and for what purposes will be decided through a new policy of the State government,” he said.
