Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Collector Dr Himanshu Aggarwal has asked all SDMs of the district to submit proposed rates for increasing the collector rates in their respective areas. As a result, the implementation of new collector rates across the district is likely to happen soon.
The new collector rates are expected to have the greatest impact on the 66-Foot Road area, considered the city's most expensive and posh locality. A proposal has been prepared to increase the existing collector rate there by up to 50%, as recent developments and new projects have driven both residential and commercial property prices in that area even higher than in Model Town, another upscale locality.
Additionally, the collector rates for agricultural land around the 88-Foot Road area are also expected to see a hike of up to 50%. However, it is noted that the current collector rates for 66-Foot Road are significantly lower than the actual market value.
According to sources, in past years, whenever new collector rates were implemented in the district, officers often hesitated to increase the rates for 66-Foot Road in line with the market value, allegedly due to influence or collusion with local developers. But now, it is believed that the Deputy Commissioner and other officials are paying special attention to revising the collector rates for this particular area.
Besides this, the biggest increase in collector rates across the district is being proposed for the Phillaur sub-division. Within the city, areas like Adarsh Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Basti Adda, Maksuda, Milap Chowk, Bhai Ditt Singh Nagar, Lamba Pind, Pathankot Road, Hoshiarpur Road, Central Town, New Jawahar Nagar, Mota Singh Nagar, Master Tara Singh Nagar, and Rama Mandi may see an increase in collector rates by 10–15 percent.
The Deputy Commissioner has also instructed all SDMs to submit the new proposals along with updated Khasra numbers (land parcel numbers) for each area. This will help ensure that when the government hands over the property registration process to facilitation centers, the staff there can collect accurate registration fees based on the collector rates and land parcel numbers, thereby preventing any potential revenue loss.