Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government will soon roll out a GIS-based (Geographic Information System-based) guidance value system across the state with an aim to standardise the process of fixing guidance value for agricultural lands and prevent revenue leakage.
The stamps and registration department has decided to roll out the new system in four taluks including Shahapur in Kalaburagi district, Hosadurga in Chitradurga, Nelamgangala in Bengaluru Rural and Yelandur in Chamarajnagar, on a pilot basis very soon. "Based on its success, we will extend this system across the entire state," said KA Dayanand, Inspector General of Registration.
The GIS-based system aims to eliminate anomalies in the existing system by digitising and standardising the process of fixing guidance values, thereby removing human intervention. Initially, the system will be utilised for registration of agricultural lands, he added.
Guidance value is the lowest value below which a property in a particular locality cannot be sold. It is determined based on factors like the area's development, amenities and infrastructure. The more the proximity to amenities like schools, highways, hospitals, the more will be the guidance value. A permanent valuation cell at the stamps and registration department will keep a watch on the property market and recommend rates for guidance value revision every year.
Currently, guidance values are fixed for specific areas with certain degrees of variations for properties near highways and major roads. Guidance value also varies depending on the irrigation facility and fertility of the land.
However, many officials of the Stamps and Registration Department claim that this system creates circumstances for inconsistencies and potential undervaluation of properties, leading to revenue loss for the government. "For example, irrigated agricultural land can be registered as dry land, resulting in lower stamp duty. Similarly, land adjoining a highway can be registered at an undervalue by claiming it is located far away. Currently, there's no mechanism to cross-verify such claims, and consequently check revenue loss," said an official.
The IG Registration said that the new system seeks to remove this discretion of sub-registrars. "In the new system, all agricultural lands in the state are GIS-mapped and each property is assigned a guidance value based on the location. During registration, the guidance value will be auto-generated upon entering the property's survey number, eliminating human intervention and discretion," he explained.
He further said, "The GIS-based guidance value system will be extended to residential and commercial property registrations too once all properties are given the PID (Property Identification) numbers."
To a question, the official clarified that the property valuation cells would continue to determine the guidance values of properties and the GIS-based system will only ensure strict adherence to these values.
