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Surjewala hits out at Haryana govt over ‘steep hike’ in collector rates
The state government has already dismissed as “unfounded and misleading”, the claims of a section of the Opposition leaders that the collector rates have been hiked by more than 130%
The Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday hit out at the chief minister Nayab Singh Saini-led government in Haryana over a “steep hike” in collector rates for property registration, saying that this move will be a blow to the common man’s dream of owning a house.
The state government has already dismissed as “unfounded and misleading”, the claims of a section of the Opposition leaders that the collector rates have been hiked by more than 130%.
“The arbitrary increase in collector rates twice in just eight months and without public consultation, logical reasoning, or defined parameters is a proof of the government’s economic mismanagement and incompetence,” Surjewala said addressing a news conference here.
“In 2022, the BJP had promised ‘a permanent home for all.’ But today, even building a house with hard-earned money has become impossible. Now, by hiking collector rates further their dreams are being crushed.”
The senior Congress leader alleged that there is a nexus between the government and the builders behind the sudden increase in the collector rate.
He said that the state government had in this year’s budget set a target of earning ₹16,555 crore from “stamp duty and registration fees” as against ₹14,000 crore in the year 2024-25, adding it was now eyeing to earn a substantial amount from the hiked collector rates.
He said the hiked collector rates will effectively increase stamp duties on registering sale deeds of immovable properties. “An analysis of the last five years reveals that the government has increased collector rates by 50% to 250% for plots, houses, flats, commercial properties, shops, and agricultural land,” Surjewala claimed.
He said that the burden on common people by hiking collector rates comes at a time when the prices of sand, gravel, bricks, cement, steel and other construction materials have already increased manifold in the last five years.
“Isn’t this hike just a scheme to help BJP-affiliated builders...As soon as rates increase, builders jack up prices for ongoing projects. Who pockets the profits? What is the logic, criteria, or basis for these hikes?” he asked.
Accusing the government of turning Haryana’s cities into “garbage dumps” with stray cattle, potholed roads, stinking waste piles, and overflowing drains, he asked: “Why hike in collector rates when basic amenities are missing?”
