Land rate up 3000%

Land rate up 3000%
Expecting BIA To Push Prices, Govt Revises Guidance Value In Barren Villages By Jaw-Dropping Percentage
S Kushala | TNN

Bangalore: The ‘main roads’ of Devapala, Arudi and Singenahalli villages, bordering Gowribidanur taluk, Bangalore Rural district, are virtually nonexistent. It’s tough even for a bullock cart to navigate these roads. The value of dry agricultural land adjacent to the main road was Rs 50,000 per acre till February 29. But from March 1, it has become Rs 15 lakh per acre.
In Sasalu hobli, one of the most backward in Bangalore Rural district, people live in mud houses. Here, land value — Rs 25,000 per acre (agricultural land) until recently — is now Rs 10 lakh per acre. In Adakavala village, people bought residential sites for Rs 14/sqft. Now, it’s been hiked to Rs 90/sqft.
This steep increase in land value is not the machination of realtors, but a negative land price hike effected by the stamps and registration department. The department’s guidance value revision in Bangalore Rural district has resulted in an abnormal increase in prices — in some places, the revision is as high as 3,000-3,200%. The revision has been conducted on the premise that once Bengaluru International Airport becomes functional, the land prices in the surrounding villages will shoot up. Also, the guidance value cannot be revised in the next two years after the current recalibration.
The revised rates came into effect on March 1, 2008. The previous revision was conducted in November 2006.
C Venkata Narayanappa, a resident of Muthugadakattepalya of Doddaballapur taluk, said: “In most backward areas where people have to walk a few kilometres to board a bus, the government, instead of providing facilities, has hiked land prices. In fact, the abnormal revision has been done where land transactions are poor. These are dry agricultural lands which lack irrigation facilities. Where will you get the buyers if prices have been increased without any justification?’’
Take, for instance, the guidance value in Kadathipura, Gundlahalli, Halekote, Sakkaregollahalli and Bheemarahuthanahalli, which are 60 km from Devanahalli. They do not have basic facilities, including local bus services. The value of dry agricultural land used to be Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre. The recent revision has rocketed the price to Rs 20 lakh per acre. On the contrary, villages of Thubagere Hobli, bordering Devanahalli and along the national highway route, land value is half of — Rs 10 lakh per acre — of what it is in underdeveloped villages.
The villages, where land prices have increased, still hope the government will provide for roads, drinking water and drainage. In Sasalu hobli, most of the land is barren and don’t have irrigation facilities, and prices are still low. Villages like Kallukunte, Bhaktharahalli, Bypanahalli, Garudagallu, which are about 90 km from Bangalore, do not have a single industry or commercial activity. BBMP database to keep tabs on encroachers
Bangalore: Battling rampant encroachment upon government properties, the BBMP is considering maintaining a database of properties. As part of this initiative, it will conduct a survey of properties and fence them.
The civic body has earmarked Rs 10.08 crore to survey and fence the properties, of which Rs 8 lakh will be spent in the erstwhile BMP areas. An amount of Rs 10 crore has been allocated to survey parks, open spaces, lakes and public properties in newlyadded areas. The BBMP will create a catalogue and microfilm details of properties, and will also prepare detailed sketches.
The report prepared by chairman of the joint House committee on encroachment in Bangalore Rural and Urban districts, A T Ramaswamy, is testimony to the extent of government land encroached upon by land sharks. Maintaining a database can help combat illegal activities, said BBMP officials.
The surveyors have been advised to obtain information on public properties in each ward based on the register maintained for property tax collection by revenue officials. They are required to procure details like survey numbers and city survey numbers before surveying.
After the survey, they have to make entries in the register with a proper sketch, which has to be approved by the respective deputy commissioner of each zone. Each surveyor will have to examine 25 properties every month. Properties identified along stormwater valleys will also be surveyed, added officials.
Properties referred by the zonal joint commissioners will be a top priority while preparing the report. Public properties have to be fenced and encroachers could be evicted with help from the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force personnel.
Furthermore, surveyors should also store information on the number of junctions in each layout. Details of encroachments have to be reported to the BBMP head office by the engineering or revenue officials to initiate proper action.
The survey to identify public properties has already begun. The BBMP has been procuring the required accessories to ease the survey process, said BBMP deputy commissioner (estates) Muddu Rangappa.