PANAJI
The State government has selected Taleigao village in Tiswadi taluka as the pilot area to introduce a new category-based land valuation system, replacing the existing practice of fixing a single uniform land rate for an entire village.
The Revenue Department, through a notification issued on May 22, stated that the existing method of prescribing one rate across an entire village was “not appropriate and justified” as villages comprise areas with varying accessibility, infrastructure, amenities and commercial value.
Under the pilot exercise, Taleigao has been divided into five categories “ A, B, C, D and E, with separate minimum land values assigned to each zone based on characteristics and desirability.
The government has fixed the base rate for Category A at Rs 30,000 per sq metre, while Category B has been pegged at Rs 25,000 per sq mtr and for Category C it is 20,000 per sq mtr. For land categorised under D, the value is pegged at Rs 7,000 per sq mtr while for E, the rate would be 20 per cent of the lowest minimum rates specified for the first four categories.
The notification stated that factors such as proximity
to the coast, sea view, nearness to urban centres, civic amenities, commercial activity, surrounding development and road connectivity often result in significant differences in land value within the same village.
“Fixation of uniform rate results in overvaluation or undervaluation of some areas, creating inconsistencies in valuation, reducing transparency and increasing grievances and objections,” the order stated.
The revised annual statement of rates for 2026-27 will apply to Taleigao and serve as the base rate framework for S1 zones for plots up to 1,000 sq mtr. For plots up to 500 sq mtr in Zones S1 to S4, the notified base rate will be reduced by 30 per cent, except for Category E areas.
The government said the pilot project in Taleigao will help test a more “practical, rational and effective” methodology, under which villages can be divided into smaller clusters with separate land values rather than adopting a blanket rate.
