Delhi government on Monday while announcing the hike said that in south and New Delhi, the new rates will be Rs 5 crore per acre while in north, west, north-west and south-west it will be Rs 3 crore per acre.
“The hike was long due but in some areas it is appear to be on the higher side. Government needs to relook that and consult local farmers,” said Harshvardhan Bansal, Director, Unity Group and president of Delhi chapter of National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO).
In central and south-east Delhi, new rates are Rs 2.5 crore per acre while in Shahdara, east and north-east, it is Rs 2.25 crore per acre.
Farmers said that hike is not justified and government should have waited for the new master plan for the capital. “Market rate in majority of Delhi is still less than the new rate. Section 33 of land reform act still applicable on around 50 villages, due to which farmer will not be able to sell part of their land and force to sell entire land,” said Pardeep Dagar, secretary of the Delhi Dehat Vikas Munch, a body of villagers from Delhi. There are about 4,000 farmhouses in 18 villages in and around New Delhi, spread over half an acre to 2.5 acres each. In its master plan, Delhi is the only city in India that has set aside areas for farms.
These areas are in clusters around Mehrauli, Panipat, Bijwasan, Rajokri, and Chattarpur.
Similarly, Karjat and Khopoli near Pune, Igatpuri near Nashik and areas next to Thane near Mumbai are also generating interest for farmhouse developments. The same is true for many outlying areas around Bengaluru and Chennai.
Experts say that urban villages on the edge of Delhi are turning into slums with illegal buildings and no roads or services.
Farmer groups have also been pushing for the GDA policy to be made public so that these urban villages can be built up with farms, schools, hospitals, parks and sports facilities. This will give Delhi a much-needed green belt.
The GDA policy aims to regulate development in designated rural areas and green belts of the city. The draft policy seeks to incorporate the low-density residential areas (LDRA) of the capital where most of the farmhouses are located.
Currently, no new residential or commercial construction is allowed in villages located on the fringes of the national capital.
