The Congress government is currently engaged in an extensive effort to generate revenue. Prior to the elections, the Congress party made numerous promises, many of which have not been addressed since coming to power. A notable issue is the inconsistency in their stance on Layout Regularization Scheme (LRS).
When in opposition, top Congress leaders pledged to make LRS free and criticized the BRS government. These leaders, now in power, seem to have abandoned their previous promises and are preparing to collect substantial amounts of money from the public.
Across the state, 25.70 lakh applications for layout regularization have been submitted. These include 1.06 lakh applications under GHMC, 3.58 lakh under HMDA, 1.35 lakh under Urban Development Corporations, 13.68 lakh under Corporations and Municipalities, and 6 lakh under Panchayats. Of these, 4.28 lakh applications are currently being processed, while 23,000 were rejected for non-compliance with regulations. Additionally, 2.22 lakh applications are pending due to incomplete documentation or incorrect information.
So far, 60,000 applications have been approved. The government is now poised to collect over Rs. 20,000 crores from the 25 lakh applicants. The previous administration accepted LRS applications from August 31 to October 31, 2020, requiring a fee of Rs. 1,000 for open plots and non-layouts, and Rs. 10,000 for large layout plots. However, the process was halted due to court cases.
Recently, the Congress government has ordered the expedited review of LRS applications, excluding those related to endowments department, waqf, government lands, and lands under court orders. They have instructed the formation of dedicated teams in each district to handle LRS and suggested borrowing staff from other departments if necessary to speed up the process.
However, the Congress party’s reversal of stance on the LRS has received widespread criticism.