Congress Slams Massive Guideline Rate Hike, Calls Move “Unjust, Shortsighted”

The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the state government for increasing land guideline rates by 10% to 100%, calling the decision arbitrary, anti-poor and economically disastrous.

Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhavan, Sushil Anand Shukla, Chairman of the Congress Communication Department, said the hike would severely burden ordinary citizens as the cost of constructing homes, shops and industrial units would spike sharply.
He warned that land transactions are likely to plummet—if not halt entirely—triggering unemployment and slowing down the broader economy.

“No Other Indian State Has Raised Rates by 130% in a Year”

Shukla criticised the BJP government for imposing what he described as an “unprecedented” escalation in guideline rates, noting that even major cities such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Pune raise rates by only 10–15% at a time.

Since the BJP assumed power in the state, he alleged, guideline rates have cumulatively risen by 40% to 130%, owing to a series of decisions taken in quick succession.

Rebate Withdrawn, New Hike Added: “Double Burden on People”

Shukla pointed out that the government had earlier scrapped the 30% rebate on guideline rates introduced during the previous Congress administration. Now, the fresh 10% to 100% hike has sent land prices soaring across districts.

He also criticised the recent amendment in calculating agricultural land rates in investment zones. Under the new rule, stamp duty for the first 15,000 sq ft of a one-acre plot will be charged per square foot, while the remaining area will be charged per hectare.

This, he said, will make land around the capital region prohibitively expensive and drastically hurt farmer income.

Ban on Registry of Plots Below 5 Dismil “Anti-Poor”

Terming the ban on registering land parcels below 5 dismil as “cruel and insensitive”, Shukla said the rule has robbed thousands of poor families of the right to sell or utilise their small plots.

“People who own 1,000–2,000 sq ft cannot sell even a fraction of their land. This is a direct assault on the poor,” he added.

“Real Estate Will Collapse, Jobs Will Vanish”

The Congress leader warned that the real estate sector—second only to agriculture as the largest employer—will be the biggest casualty of the steep guideline hike.

He cautioned that the fallout could include:

Massive job losses

Sharp decline in property transactions

Financial distress across urban and rural markets

A potential recession triggered by a collapsing construction sector

Shukla said the previous Congress government had revived the industry through reforms such as permitting registry of sub-5 dismil plots and offering a 30% guideline discount, which helped keep the economy afloat during the pandemic.

The present government’s decisions, he said, will reverse that progress.

“Government’s Financial System Has Collapsed”

Accusing the BJP government of poor fiscal management, Shukla said the administration is squeezing citizens to cover its own financial shortcomings.

He listed a series of recent burdens imposed on the public:

Withdrawal of the 400-unit electricity exemption

Increased power tariffs

Higher stamp duty and registry fees

Now, an unprecedented hike in guideline rates

“These moves show the government’s economic policies have completely failed,” he asserted.

Congress Leadership Present

The press conference was attended by senior Congress spokespersons including Dhananjay Singh Thakur, Surendra Verma, Vandana Rajput, Nitin Bhansali, Satyaprakash Singh, Parvez Ahmed, Saurabh Sahu and Rishabh Chandrakar.

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