Centre wants states to raise land conversion charges

New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) The Union Urban Development Ministry is pursuing the states to raise the charges of converting agricultural land for building purposes, which it finds very low.

Informing this, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said the internal and external development charges and conversion charges have been nominal throughout the country, and it was high time that they were raised.

''Especially in Delhi, these charges are ridiculously low,'' he said.

''The money collected in this way should be utilised by states for providing housing and other basic amenities to the poor,'' Mr Reddy said while delivering the valedictory address at the National Consultation on 'JNURM:Developing Inclusive Cities' here.

He said the Urban Development Ministry on its own could not decide for increasing conversion and developmental charges as the land was a state subject, so he was talking to state governments and persuing them to take the step.

Pointing out that a lot of agricultural land in cities like Delhi had been and was being converted for the purpose of construction and lakhs of labourers flock to these cities to work on these projects, the Minister said builders should share the social responsibility by providing accommodation to the poor workers.

Already, he said the Delhi Master Plan provides that 35 per cent of the houses in new colonies to be built would be reserved for the poor.

Mr Reddy said India was growing at more than eight per cent, but this growth to be meaningful had to travel down to the poor.

''Growth without equity was fruitless and equity without growth was rootless,'' he added.

Mr Reddy said urbanisation cannot be wished away, the country has to be prepared for that, while taking care of the rural areas at the same time.

''It is a tide which is not only inevitable but also desirable.

So instead of any rollback, we should organise ourselves,'' he said.

Earlier, speaking at the seminar, Union Minister for Urban Poverty Alleviation Ms Selja called upon local governments and states to prepare a blue print for developing inclusive cities.

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