Opposition slams revision of collector rates

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have expressed concern over the proposed increase in the collector rates, calling the move unwarranted and against the aspirations of city residents.

Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky said acquiring a property in Chandigarh was already a formidable challenge, and such an exorbitant hike would further diminish the affordability of home-ownership in the city.

Pointing to stark discrepancies in the revised rates across various property categories, Lucky highlighted that, in certain cases, the collector rates have surged by as much as fourfold, an entirely unreasonable increase. He further said the industrial sector, already grappling with numerous challenges, would be severely impacted, particularly with industrial land proposed to be registered at an exorbitant Rs 83,000 per square yard. Additionally, while a reduction in the collector rate for showrooms on Madhya Marg was anticipated, the administration had instead escalated the rates beyond even prevailing market prices, he said. The party intends to lead a delegation to the Chandigarh Administration, pressing for a fair and rational reassessment of the proposed hike.

AAP spokesperson Yogesh Dhingra argued that the administration was taking decisions arbitrarily.

Dhingra accused the administration of stopping the floor-wise registries in the entire city despite the fact that the Supreme Court had ordered the closure of floor-wise registry only from Sectors 1 to 30.

“Earlier, the common man’s dream of getting a house in the city remained a dream and now with the increase in the collector rates, owning a house in Chandigarh has become a distant dream, which the Aam Aadmi Party completely opposes,” he said.

Dhingra further said, “In this context, we will also submit a memorandum to Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and register our protest and will not allow the collector rates to increase in any way.”