New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday approved an increase in circle rates of agricultural land and those adjacent to the Yamuna barrage, Revenue minister Atishi said.
This is the first increase in circle rates of agricultural land since 2008, she said at a press conference.
In a statement later, the government said that since assuming power in 2013 and 2015, the Arvind Kejriwal government has been persistently striving to elevate the circle rates of agricultural land. The process faced obstacles due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, agricultural lands across Delhi had uniform circle rates and they have now been delineated on a district basis.
Moreover, they have been categorised into Green Belt Villages, Urbanised Villages and Rural Villages, the statement added.
In South Delhi and New Delhi districts, the circle rate of agricultural land will peak at Rs 5 crore per acre.
This proposal will now be forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) for his approval, the minister said.
Kejriwal tweeted on the development and said: “The farmers of Delhi have been demanding for a long time that the rates of their agricultural land be increased. A few years ago, we also increased them, but due to some reasons, they could not be implemented at that time. Today, I am happy to inform all farmers of Delhi that your demand has been fulfilled.”
Addressing the press conference, Atishi said the circle rate of agricultural land in Delhi has remained stagnant at Rs 53 lakh per acre since 2008.
“This lack of revision deprived farmers of fair compensation for their lands. Moreover, these agricultural lands are frequently acquired in Delhi for crucial infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, universities, or hospitals. Yet, when farmers sold their lands for these projects, they received compensation based on the outdated circle rate, resulting in inadequate compensation,” she noted.
The minister said that, until now, Delhi farmers had been receiving compensation based on a circle rate of Rs 53 lakh per acre, which significantly falls short of the prevailing market rate.
“Consequently, both farmers and the government have suffered losses. In cases where farmers do not receive equitable rates for their lands through government projects, the situation often escalates into legal disputes, leading to protracted court battles that can span years. This, in turn, causes delays in the implementation of various government infrastructure projects,” she stressed.
Following the revision of the circle rate, farmers will now receive rightful compensation for their lands, she said.
“To address this issue, the Kejriwal government has introduced different circle rates for agricultural lands in different districts,” she said.
The new circle rates of agricultural land in Delhi are Rs 5 crore per acre for South Delhi and New Delhi, Rs 5 crore per acre for North Delhi, West Delhi, North West, and South West Delhi, Rs 2.5 crore per acre for Central and South East Delhi and Rs 2.25 crore per acre for Shahadra, North East, and East Delhi.