Bhopal Collector’s Guideline Sans Master Plan Not Justified, Say Stakeholders

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Residents, colonizers and other stakeholders while filing claims and objections have said that since the master plan has not been implemented to define land use and categorization, it was not justified to introduce Collector guidelines on the basis of assessment. The administration on Wednesday had proposed an 8.9 per cent hike in collector’s guideline for 1,228 locations for 2024-25.

The guidelines also include 22 new colonies. Claims and objections have been invited till March in connection with the proposed guidelines. 

‘Govt assessments inflate land value’

The proposed land rate is based on assessment rather than factual calculations using a socialistic and scientific approach. Constructed properties are valued on the basis of location, amenities, and other specifications. The government assessments tend to inflate values for the public due to higher-end considerations.

- Manoj Singh Meek, CREDAI spokesman

‘Land use not yet defined’  

“As master plan has not been implemented since 2005, it clearly shows that the government has not yet defined the land use and its categories and so without defining land use, it is not justified to increase the property rate. Government itself takes decisions about land use categorizing it into commercial, residential, agricultural land but sans master plan proposing land rate is not justified.”

-Sunil Upadhyaya, New colonies welfare association president

‘Stamp duty too high’

The existing stamp duty in Madhya Pradesh stands at 12.5% which is much higher than other states and so if the government wants to increase land rate, it should reduce stamp duties in the state.”  

- P Raju, MD, Signature Builders and developers  

Many properties entangles in legal dispute HM Gupta, Sagar Plaza (Kolar), said, “ After NGT order, properties in residential and commercial areas along the water bodies are entangled in legal disputes so their selling-purchasing cannot be executed. Hike in land rate proposed in collector’s guideline is useless until the legal disputes are resolved.”