Delhi Cong seeks revision of agriculture land circle rates

The Delhi Congress has demanded an immediate revision of circle rates of the agricultural land in the national capital, warning of protests if the government fails to act.

Naresh Kumar, senior spokesperson for the Delhi Congress, met Divisional Commissioner Neeraj Semwal on Saturday and submitted a detailed representation regarding the issue.

Kumar said, “The Delhi Congress had already submitted a representation to the Chief Minister on June6. Following this, the Chief Minister constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner. However, it is highly concerning that even after nearly two months, no action has been taken by the committee. This clearly shows that the BJP Government in Delhi is not serious about the hardships and rights of farmers.”

Highlighting the outdated circle rates, he said: “The last revision of circle rates was done in 2008 when Delhi’s land was classified into only two categories - agricultural land – Rs 53 lakh per acre and river bed land – Rs 17 lakh per acre. Taking this fair model as the basis, the circle rate for agricultural land in Delhi should now be fixed at Rs 10 crore per acre.”

Kumar said, “In 2015 and 2019, the then government tried to revise the circle rates on a district-wise basis with separate rates, which was unjust and discriminatory against farmers and landowners. Such a policy only encouraged inequality and corruption.”

He stressed that the current rates are far below market values, leading to losses for both farmers and the government.