CHENNAI : The value of land to be acquired by Tamil Nadu government for implementing drinking water scheme in Coimbatore has been increased 10 times without any justification, according to registration department sources’ revelations. The cost of land at Thekkampatty village in Coimbatore was increased by the valuation sub-committee only for those survey numbers to which land acquisition is planned and no steps were taken to increase the value of other survey numbers.
The valuation sub-committee is usually chaired by the Collector and the district registrar of the revenue district is responsible for the correspondence and for compilation of data relating to the market value of the property, in accordance with the decision of the valuation sub-committee. Official sources said that the sub-committee did not give any justification for increasing prices by more than 10 times.
It was also learnt that no higher value registrations happened in those numbers.
It was also found that last year the valuation committee while studying the prevailing market value guidelines throughout the State had decided that the prevailing market rate is less than the market value guideline rate and has reduced it by 33 per cent. Sources said that despite this, the sub-committee had proposed the value much higher than the rate adopted in June 2017 last year. “They also did not place any objections from public or recorded the depositions,” sources said.
When Express tried to contact registration department officials, they said that the proposal by the sub-committee has been remitted back by the valuation committee for reconsideration.“We are yet to hear from the sub-committee in Coimbatore on the revised value for the land,” the sources said.