The Uttar Pradesh government has further decreased the fees for development and building permits in various districts, including Ghaziabad. In January, the development fee in Ghaziabad was increased from Rs 2,500 per square meter to Rs 4,170 per square meter. However, under the new directive, it has now been slightly reduced to Rs 4,165 per square meter.
In January, Ghaziabad experienced the most significant increase, with a rise exceeding 66%. Despite the recent reduction, the city continues to have the highest development fee in the state. As reported by a GDA official, the fee has been lowered to Rs 1,450 per square meter from the previous Rs 1,510 per square meter in Loni, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.
According to the new rates, the fee has been decreased to Rs 2,462 per square meter in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Agra, while it remains at Rs 1,510 per square meter in Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Moradabad. In other districts, the fee has been reduced to approximately Rs 1,020 per square meter to Rs 603 per square meter. For residential plots up to 100 square meters and commercial plots up to 30 square meters, the fee has been cut by 50%.
“Ghaziabad has been evaluated to possess the highest growth potential compared to other regions under development authorities. With the Namo Bharat initiative, metro connectivity, an airport, and a network of highways near Ghaziabad, the state government aims to capitalize on this through the development fee, which will subsequently enhance revenue generation and improve civic infrastructure,” stated the official.
The development fee serves as a significant revenue source for all development authorities, charged in exchange for civic amenities. Among all revenue generation categories, the development fee alone constituted the highest revenue for the GDA in the fiscal year 2024-25.
“There is some relief for small plot owners and developers within the residential and commercial sectors, but for larger developers, the reduction in rates is minimal and will not significantly impact overall costs,” remarked Ratnesh Goyal, a developer.
