City ,Government and People
City, Government and People; Cities are being treated as a commodity, where all goods and services, are available for? sale and purchase. Accordingly, cities are being viewed,? by all agencies and stakeholders, for making ?generating wealth and? make more and more money. In the process, all agencies involved in governing/developing/? real estate development, are exploiting the options of trading land and land based development,? to make huge profits. State and Central governments in general, and all parastatal agencies like; Development Authorities, Housing Boards, Improvement Trusts - DDA, GMADA, GLADA, HUDA, MAHADA ,HIMUDA etc., in particular, are all engaged in discovering new options, to explore land based options, to generate large amount of wealth. In the process, State/Central ?Governments, which monopolies and exercise ?unlimited power and control over land, its use, sub-division and built up area, are using its authority in the shape of licensing colonies/buildings/group housing/ industrial development/SEZs etc.,- are evolving/approving schemes to maximize its wealth and generate large revenues/taxes from land.
Looking holistically, role of Government is to govern? and that? too ?govern effectively and efficiently. Government has no business to be in business of real estate, its job remains to create enabling environment for people to do their job more effectively and efficiently, without being ?unduly fleeced. Task of the Governmnet is to promote public interest and not personal interests or interests of a particular group and ?bridge gap between haves and? haven’t . In addition, Government role and responsibility is to promote inclusiveness and ensure that no body is left behind and ?basic needs of all the citizens should be met without any? hardships. However, all Governments are working? on the agenda of? marginalizing poor and promoting poverty by widening gap between rich and poor by its? irrational policies and programs.
In addition, Governments have also invented numerous? other methods to make more money out of available land. The option of revising reserve prices of land by Deputy Commissioners, on? regular basis is now being used for generating more money through stamp duties. It? looks strange that India is still following the role of Deputy Commissioner as Revenue officer of the district, whereas he has no knowledge and understanding of the Land and its implications for the society in a welfare state. In City like Chandigarh, where entire land supply is controlled, regulate and managed? by the government, Governmnet has no moral right to revise the rate of land when there is no-supply of land on regular basis and land resource remains limited/defined . Creating deliberate scarcity, is being used as a mechanism/basis, of? increasing land prices by collecting more stamp duty fee. Unfortunately, it is not appreciated that by increasing reserve price of land, government is trying to promote the interest of the speculators, ?property dealers and developers. Connivance of politicians, bureaucrats and property dealers/developers ?cannot be ruled out in this process. Government must understand and analyze , which public interest they are trying to promote/serve by increasing collectors’ rate and ?interests of which segment of the society they are trying to help and promote.? Issue needs wider consideration and deliberation in the sense it makes city ?more expensive, unaffordable and excludes large section of society/ poor, from being treated with dignity in the city, which is meant for them and which is called city beautiful and which in its mandate stated – to provide basic amenities/services even? to the poorest of the poor citizens to lead a dignified life. Courts?? need to intervene to define the principles? and? make the entire? process of land? pricing more rational and realistic. to serve the interests of the larger community. ?Jit Kumar Gupta;? [email protected]
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