By paying a small fee, you can soon change the purpose of land in Bengal

In an attempt to increase state revenue, West Bengal's land and land reforms department has introduced two separate fee structures to determine how a plot of land is used.

This means a buyer will not have to get the mutation done along with the registration in the existing system.

Under the new order, owners can retain land by paying a fee that had been allotted to them even though the purpose for which it was given has not been fulfilled. Owners can also pay another fee to enable them to change the purpose it was allowed for.

The new system will be in place from the coming financial year if things go as planned.

"The process will be applicable after an amendment in the West Bengal Land and Land Reforms Act is passed in the next Assembly session," said a senior official of the state government.

In the first case, if the plot of land is used for other projects, then a conversion fee of 25% of the current market price along with an annual rent of 0.3% will allow an owner of a land to retain the land for other purposes. For an occupant, an additional 20% fee would be charged if they have decided to use the land for other purpose. If the characteristics of the land need to be changed for townships, then the owner land has to pay a conversion fee of 35% of the current market price along with 0.3% annual market rent.

For someone who owns land where there is an operational mill or factory, he/she will be allowed to retain the land as a lessee for a period of 99 years by paying Re 1 and annual rent without paying stamp duty and a registration fee. However, in case of an occupant occupying the land, then they need to pay the stamp duty and registration fee.

This decision, senior officials say, was taken after a chunk of land was found lying unused even though it had been bought for a particular purpose. That's what led to the idea that it such mutations should be made easier.

"The decision has been taken so to attract more investment in the state. We have already identified huge chunks of land lying unused, so the decision has been taken to utilise the land by taking extra fees from the owner of the land. This will help to generate revenue and at the same time it will help utilise unused land," state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee.

According to the Opposition, the move has been taken because of the upcoming panchayat elections.

"The state government should not encourage favouritism to some owners by taking less money. If they have introduced a process then they should follow it for all the people," said Congress leader Abdul Mannan.

The government must make it clear, once the new system has been introduced, how much revenue has been generated," said BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

Significantly, in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, a plot of land can be used for various purposes as these states have amended their respective land reform acts. But other states still have stringent rules - in Gujarat and Maharashtra, agricultural land cannot be purchased by a non-agriculturalist.