MCB set to hike map approval fee

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 22

The debt-ridden Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) has now decided to increase its revenue by raising the fee for approval of maps.

The increase will lead to rise in the development fee, labour and water charges.

The MCB had kept this proposal in the house for revising the rate in 2015, but at that time, the house kept the item pending.

Now again, the proposal would be tabled in the meeting of the General House on August 24.

In the report sent to the house, the building branch has stated that while constructing a building, about 1,200 to 1,500 rupees per square feet is spent, but the MCB is charging fee by making estimate on old rates of Rs 500 per square feet of ground floor and 400 rupees per square feet of first floor.

The building branch has argued that in the city, other government departments, which include Improvement Trust and Bathinda Development Authority (BDA), have estimate rate of Rs 900 and 800 per square feet.

Therefore, as per the proposal, different departments cannot have different rates in the same city.

So, the MCB has decided to revise its old rate of ground floor to Rs 900 and first floor to Rs 800 per square feet.

The MCB is set to revive the rate of map fees after about five years.

Earlier, the corporation had revised rates in 2012. At that time, the MCB had increased the floor rate from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per square feet and of the first floor from Rs 200 to 400 per square feet.

The Local Audit Department of the MCB had also objected to the old rates of the corporation.

Rates earlier revised in 2012

Earlier, the corporation had revised rates in 2012. At that time, the MCB had increased the floor rate from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per square feet and of the first floor from Rs 200 to 400 per square feet. 

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