GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government is considering revising the jantri or the annual statement of rates (ASR) after completion of the local body elections. The state government, which has been delaying revision of jantri rates for a long time, has decided to initiate the process after intervention of the Supreme Court.

Sources in the government said that the task of jantri rate revision will be taken up by March end or in April. Jantri rates in the state have not been reviewed for a decade after they were last revised in 2011. Here too, the actual survey was done almost two years before the jantri rates were announced.

Experts, however, felt the government should avoid a knee jerk reaction and ensure the revision is well thought out to avoid inflicting pain on the market already reeling under Covid-19 pandemic slowdown. "Jantri revision will have a major impact on the property market due to higher payment of FSI rate. Constructed property will be costlier by Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 per sq feet," said a realty expert.

Top sources close to the development said although the state revenue department has been requesting the government for revising jantri rates, the decision was postponed citing political reasons because of likely opposition from a few sections of society.

Jantri rates: State govt to wait for final directions from SC

However, after the recent intervention by a threejudge bench of the Supreme Court which issued notices to the state government to file a reply, stating its views, in six weeks, the government has in principle decided to inform the SC about the need of revision of the jantri rates,” sources said.

The sources said that the task of revising the jantri rates will be taken after the local body elections. “The gap between the ongoing actual market rate and the 2011 jantri rates is huge, especially in major cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and outgrowth areas of these cities. This is affecting government revenues as well. The Surat litigation demanding jantri rate revision is related to land acquisition for public purpose, so rate revision may also help in minimizing land acquisition for government projects and industrial development,” sources said.

The sources added that government will wait for final directions of the Supreme Court in the matter, but considering the primary response of the Supreme Court, the government expects a direction to revise Jantri rates.

Kaushik Patel, state revenue minister, said Gujarat government is studying the Supreme Court observations and other suggestions. "Many states have done it. I cannot make any comment on issue of revision of Jantri rates at this point of time.”