LG returns file on revised circle rate of agricultural land with queries; Will clarify, says CM Kejriwal

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) The file on the proposed revised circle rate of agricultural land in Delhi has been returned by the Lt Governor with a few queries that will be clarified by the AAP government, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday.

The Kejriwal government had last month approved a hike in the circle rate of agricultural land district-wise. The file approved by the chief minister was sent for the nod by Lt Governor VK Saxena.

The LtGgovernor has sought clarification on the overlapping of some villages in urbanised and green belt categories in South West Delhi district, and the rationale and manner of classification of villages into green belt for the purpose of differentiated circle rates, officials said.

The agricultural land circle rate was last revised to Rs 53 lakh per acre by the Delhi government in 2008.

The latest decision of the Delhi government raised the circle rates to Rs 5 crore per acre in the South and New Delhi districts, Rs 3 crore per acre in North Delhi, West Delhi, North West, and South West Delhi; Rs 2.5 crore per acre in Central and South East Delhi; and Rs 2.25 crore per acre in Shahadra, North East, and East Delhi districts.

Except for urbanised villages in South West Delhi where the circle rate will be Rs 4 crore, the rates remain the same across green belt, rural and urbanised villages, as per the government decision.

Government officials said that the LG had returned the file on revised circle rates seeking clarification on two points.

“The LG has sent (the file) with a few queries. We will reply to his queries,” the chief minister said in a press conference.

The LG has noted that the revised circle rates proposed by the government were based on a working group report in 2017. Since a number of villages have been urbanised since 2017, that appeared to have resulted in the “overlapping” of some villages in the categories of urbanised and green belt villages in South West district, officials said.

The LG has also noted that the file on revised circle rates did not cite the rationale and manner for the classification of villages into green belt for the purpose of differentiated circle rates, they added.

The wait for Delhi’s farmers for the increase in the circle rate has extended, government sources said.

Kejriwal government on August 7 decided to increase the circle rate for agricultural land in Delhi after 15 years as it was a long-standing demand of Delhi’s farmers, government sources added.