Eyeing a revenue boost, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday issued directions for the revision in circle rates at a high-level meeting where the mismatch with current market prices came into focus, said officials. The Chief Minister directed the Revenue Department to form a committee under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner to prepare a plan on the revision. The property prices in Delhi are expected to go up once the revised rates are implemented.Better infrastructure in the Capital, ease of doing business, unauthorised colonies, housing societies, and modernisation of infrastructure in industrial zones were among the issues discussed at Saturday’s high-level meeting.During the meeting, officials said, Gupta highlighted that there are inconsistencies in the current circle rate structure across Delhi that require reassessment, and directed the task force to present a report at the earliest after considering all relevant aspects.Also Read | Air India plane crash: At police station, passports, jewellery found on bodies also await identificationThe panel will submit a detailed report based on current market conditions and property values, which will then be used as the basis for revising the circle rates. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa and senior officials from MCD, DDA, DMRC, registrars of co-operative societies, and representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) were among the attendees at the meeting.Circle rates, which vary across states and even within areas in a city, are the minimum prices per unit area determined by the government. A property cannot be registered for a price below the circle rate for an area. Depending on factors such as demand and supply, amenities, profile of the neighbourhood, these rates are revised from time to time.In Delhi, the government has divided localities into eight categories based on the floor price — ‘A’ to ‘H’. Upscale localities such as Jorbagh, Vasant Vihar, and Safdarjung Enclave come under category ‘A’, while the least developed places, mostly located in Outer Delhi, fall in the category ‘H’.During the Covid pandemic, the Delhi government relaxed the circle rates by 20%. With the rebate, the circle rate for category ‘A’ fell from Rs 7.7 lakh to Rs 6.2 lakh per square metre, and in category H, the floor price went down from Rs 23,280 to Rs 18,624 per square metre. In 2022, however, these rebates were withdrawn.Story continues below this adAlso Read | ‘Foreign policy in shambles’: Congress flays govt’s stand to abstain from UN resolution on GazaAt present, the 2014 guidelines are being implemented in Delhi. While the base unit rate of cost of construction (residential use) in category ‘A’ is Rs 21,960 per square metre, the corresponding value for category ‘H’ is Rs 3,480.During Saturday’s meeting, the CM instructed all civic agencies to take proactive measures for the welfare of unauthorised colonies. She also directed the DDA and Urban Development Department to prepare a comprehensive and detailed report addressing issues related to ownership rights and property registration in these colonies, said officials.The task force also presented a report that included several significant recommendations for the overall development of the city. Some of the key proposals include a standardised development control norms across all agencies and time-bound approvals for large-scale projects, said officials.Officials said that the task force also proposed that slum redevelopment should be encouraged under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, allowing for commercial activities within such projects.Story continues below this ad“The task force will work in coordination with various departments and agencies to review existing processes related to entrepreneurs, businesses, and start-ups. It will also evaluate existing policies and submit a report recommending automation and time-bound implementation of reforms,” said Gupta.Further, during the meeting, the CM also discussed the issue of high amalgamation charges for commercial plots and directed the task force to include residential plots under the proposed framework so that an integrated policy can be developed, said officials.She also emphasised the need to make construction-related procedures simple, transparent, and accountable to avoid unnecessary delays in developmental work.