Delhi Government May Hike Agricultural Land Circle Rates After 18 Years

New Delhi: Buying or selling agricultural land in Delhi could get costlier as the government considers a major revision in circle rates after 18 years. Under the proposals being examined, the official valuation could go up to Rs 5 crore per acre in some districts, even as reported land transactions show prices ranging from around Rs 2 crore to over Rs 15 crore per acre.

The Centre and the Delhi government have reviewed proposals to revise circle rates. This move could lead to a wider reassessment of official land and property valuations in the national capital.

Sources said a meeting was convened last week by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs along with the Delhi government for a comprehensive presentation on circle rates.

The exercise follows a public consultation held last year, when the government invited suggestions through a notice issued on October 1, 2025. A committee headed by the divisional commissioner was also formed to identify gaps in the existing valuation structure.

The proposed revision could also open up opportunities for redevelopment and urban expansion under the Master Plan for Delhi-2047 (MPD-2047).

Delhi Agricultural Land Circle Rates: What Has Been Proposed?

The immediate focus is on agricultural land, whose circle rates have remained unchanged since 2008. The existing minimum indicative rate stands at Rs 53 lakh per acre, while the rate for agricultural land in riverbed areas is Rs 17.6 lakh per acre.

Urban land rates could also be revised as part of the broader exercise.

Government committees have proposed substantially higher rates across districts, with separate classifications for green-belt villages, urbanised villages and rural villages.

Under the proposals, the recommended agricultural circle rate remains Rs 5 crore per acre in South and New Delhi districts, the highest among the district-wise recommendations.

The proposed rate is Rs 3 crore per acre in North, West and North-West Delhi, Rs 2.5 crore in Central Delhi and Rs 2.25 crore in Shahdara, North-East and East Delhi.

In South-West Delhi, the recommended rate has been increased from the earlier proposal of Rs 3 crore to Rs 3.5 crore per acre. Similarly, South-East Delhi has seen its proposed rate rise from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore per acre.

The recommendations seek to account for differences in location, village category and prevailing market prices across the capital.

Land Prices Range From Rs 2 Crore To Over Rs 15 Crore Per Acre

The proposed revision comes amid considerable variations in land prices, even within the same district.

A sample of property transactions from November 2025 showed reported sale values ranging from around Rs 2.6 crore to more than Rs 15 crore per acre.

In South Delhi, market rates across localities range from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 10 crore per acre, with Khanpur recording the highest values in one set of findings.

Chhattarpur and adjoining farmhouse-belt areas are also among the higher-value locations, with rates ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 8.5 crore per acre in another set of findings.

In West Delhi, land prices range between Rs 3.5 crore and Rs 6 crore per acre, with most transactions involving urbanised villages associated with land pooling.

Najafgarh has reported market rates ranging from Rs 3 crore to Rs 10 crore per acre, while green-belt and rural land is valued between Rs 2 crore and Rs 8 crore.

In Shahdara, urbanised land is valued between Rs 3 crore and Rs 10 crore per acre, compared with Rs 2 crore to Rs 8 crore for green-belt and rural land.

Land prices in Narela and Alipur range from Rs 3 crore to Rs 3.5 crore per acre, with Alipur commanding relatively higher values.

In Saraswati Vihar, Rohini and Kanjhawala, rates range between Rs 2.3 crore and Rs 2.5 crore per acre, while green-belt villages are valued at around Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore.

New Delhi district has some of the widest variations in reported market prices, ranging from Rs 1.5 crore to as much as Rs 18 crore per acre. Luxury properties and bungalow-zone areas account for the higher end of the range.

The differences in land valuations are among the factors being considered in the proposed revision, which seeks to reflect prevailing transaction values, land categories and location-specific conditions as Delhi's land-use and redevelopment landscape evolves.

Delhi Farmers Demand Rs 10 Crore Per Acre Circle Rate

Meanwhile, the Delhi Panchayat Sangh has urged the government to increase the circle rate for agricultural land to Rs 10 crore per acre.

The farmers' body has also demanded that no agricultural land be acquired until the revised rates are implemented. It has sought an announcement on the new circle rates before Diwali.