The state government recently issued a notification revising the lease rates of properties belonging to the civic bodies. Accordingly, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to revise the rates for its properties leased out for commercial and social purposes.
NMC officials said the government slashed the rates for properties given to social outfits from 8% of the Ready Reckoner (RR) rate to 0.5%, and lease rates for commercial properties from 8% of RR rate to 0.7%.
The civic officials said new rates will be applicable after the end of the current agreement period with tenants. They have also formed a committee, headed by the civic chief, to levy new rates on the properties after the end of the agreement.
NMC has 1,900 commercial galas/shops and 1,075 other properties, which are allotted to social outfits and NGOs for social causes.
Earlier, the lease rate was 2.5% of the Ready Reckoner (RR) rate. But in 2020, the state government had directed all the civic bodies to lease out their properties at the lease rate of 8% of the RR. Accordingly, the NMC charged lease rates on its properties as per the government order in the same year (2020). However, there was a demand by social outfits that the lease rates be reduced and the properties be given at a nominal lease rate to them .
During the state assembly session in July this year, Devyani Pharande, the MLA from Nashik Central, had presented a calling attention motion related to the revision of the lease rate of the properties owned by the NMC.
Replying to the calling attention motion, the state industry minister Uday Samant had assured that the lease rate of the properties owned by the municipal corporations and other civic bodies in the state will be fixed at the earliest.
Accordingly, the state government recently issued a notification in this connection, slashing the lease rates of the civic body’s properties — commercial as well as the properties to be leased out for social cause to social outfits or NGOs.