Lucknow.Those making changes in land use in Uttar Pradesh will now have to pay less money than before. The state government has implemented new rates of land use change fee. This will affect people converting agricultural land into residential, industrial, office or commercial use.
In the new rates, the duty on conversion of agricultural land to residential use has been reduced from 50% to 25%. This rate has been reduced from 100% to 50% for office, from 125% to 65% for mixed use and from 150% to 75% for commercial use. There will be a 15% tax on using agricultural land for small or big industries.
The rate has also been reduced from 20% to 15% on changing the use of agriculture, park, open space or green belt land for public convenience, traffic and transportation. These charges will be calculated considering the circle rate of the concerned land as the basis.
Big relief on residential land also
Land use change fee will be zero if residential land is used for public facilities, transport or parking. Similarly, no fee will be charged for converting residential land into small or big industry. On the other hand, the charge for change of use from residential to office use has been fixed at 25%, while for mixed and commercial use the charge has been fixed at 50-50%.
Authority will be able to take decisions up to 6,000 square meters
In the new system, development authorities have been given the right to change the land use of a plot up to 6,000 square meters. However, in the master plan, the total land area for any one use can be changed only up to 1%. Decisions on matters in areas larger than this will be taken at the government level. The fee for application has been kept at Rs 1,000 per hectare. In large plots, the fee will not be calculated at a uniform rate, but in a telescopic manner according to the categories of fixed area.
Recommendation for land use change will have to be given within 22 days
The application for land use change will be jointly reviewed by the Development Authority and the Town and Country Planning Department. Both the parties will have to give their recommendations within 22 days. If needed, the clarification process can be completed within 60 days.
After approval, the proposal will be made public and objections will be sought for 15 days. After the demand for fee is issued, the concerned person will have to pay it within 90 days. There is a provision to issue notice of land use change within a maximum of 15 days after receiving the payment.
It is not possible to change the use of every land in the new system.
In the new system, some categories of lands have been kept out of the changes. The prescribed land use of lands like forest, green area, recreation area, road, railway, parking, pond, drainage, sewage, STP, water plant, solid waste management, crematorium and cemetery will not be changed.