Exorbitant conversion charges leave booth owners harried

Pradeep Shrama

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3

Over 20,000 booth owners across the state are a harassed lot. The booth owners are unable to avail benefit of the policy allowing the construction of first floor on account of ‘exorbitant’ conversion fee.

In fact, the basis for conversion charges—35 per cent of the collector rate or “up to date auction price”, whichever is higher, virtually defeated the very purpose of the policy, which was formulated after the booth owners approached Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who is also Haryana Urban Development Authority’s (HUDA) Chairman.

“The levy of conversion fee for this facility is too high as it will put unbearable financial burden on the booth owners.

A reasonable policy on the pattern of the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board, which charged only 10 per cent of the allotment price for construction of basement and first floor, was the need of the hour,” BB Singal, chairman of the Booth/Service Booths Owners’ Welfare Federation, Panchkula, told The Tribune here today.

Singal apprehended that the booth owners, most of them had purchased these booths in the early days of establishing Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) sectors at the rate ranging between Rs 1 to 3 lakh, would not be able to get the benefit of additional area by construction of the first floor due to levying of such a high conversion fee.

Booth owners contended that the space on the first floor would be used for storage purpose only. In fact, a large area from the ground floor shall be used for constructing stairs.

The booth owners claimed that by levying of reasonable charges, Haryana Urban Development Authority would be able to generate more revenue as there are over 20,000 booth owners in Haryana.