Gujarat Allocates ₹3,259 Crore for Revenue Reforms, Enhancing Service Efficiency
BILKULONLINE
Gandhinagar, March 19 : Aiming for faster and more transparent services, the Gujarat government has allocated Rs 3,259 crore for revenue reforms.
During the 2025 Budget Session, Gujarat’s Minister for Industries, Balwantsinh Rajput, on Wednesday presented a detailed overview of the state’s revenue reforms in the House. Emphasizing the government’s commitment to making revenue services more transparent, swift, and effective, he highlighted various policy, technological, and strategic improvements implemented over time. The revenue department’s total budgetary demand of over Rs 3,259 crore was approved by the Assembly. “Gujarat has undertaken significant digital initiatives to enhance revenue services. Key services such as land ownership verification (khedut kharai), inheritance registration (varasai nodh), and digital property cards are now available online via the i-ORA portal.
This digital transformation has allowed citizens to obtain approximately 36 revenue-related services from the comfort of their homes. By January 2025, over 2.91 crore digital copies of revenue documents had been issued,” Minister Rajput said.
The integration of i-ORA with e-Dhara and the City Survey Information System now ensures the immediate availability of digital property cards after non-agricultural land conversion approvals. Additionally, sensitive land records are being systematically digitized and preserved. Minister Rajput announced that Gujarat has simplified the process for obtaining land ownership certificates, resulting in a 55 per cent reduction in application backlogs. To accelerate approvals for non-agricultural land use, District Collectors now have the authority to grant approvals for transactions involving up to Rs 5 crore without additional state-level processing.
Moreover, farmers, who were unable to purchase or apply for land acquisitions within the stipulated time, can now obtain landowner certificates as per the resolution passed on November 29, 2024. Additionally, permissions granted for non-agricultural land use without premium charges in the past will now require only a 10 per cent premium fee to be regularized. To enhance transparency and efficiency, all sub-registrar offices are being equipped with CCTV surveillance and online connectivity to curb unauthorised activities. “Under the Swamitva Yojana rural residents in Gujarat are now receiving property ownership cards. These property cards facilitate easy access to bank loans and financial support. As of now, 3,60,134 property cards have been distributed free of cost across 2,202 villages in the state,” he said. “To further streamline public services, Gujarat has established 310 service centres delivering 148 government services to citizens. Of these, 42 services are processed within a single day.
The state government also plans to modernise and upgrade these centres to enhance accessibility and efficiency,” the Minister added. Minister Rajput also addressed Gujarat’s disaster management strategies. He highlighted the state’s proactive approach to handling emergencies such as floods, cyclones, and heavy rainfall. The government has established robust systems for rescue operations, temporary shelters, and post-disaster rehabilitation. Financial aid for human casualties, agricultural losses, and other damages has been systematically disbursed to affected citizens. “To make property registration more transparent and fraud-proof, Gujarat has introduced e-KYC verification for buyers and sellers through the Garvi web application. This process uses Aadhaar-based authentication, significantly reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions and legal disputes,” he said. Despite Gujarat imposing one of the lowest stamp duties in the country, the state has witnessed a fourfold increase in stamp duty revenue over the past decade.
In 2024, stamp duty collections reached Rs 11,765.23 crore, while registration fee revenue stood at Rs 2,066.83 crore. “A significant relief measure was announced for middle-class home buyers. The government has reduced stamp duty on hak kami (property transfer) transactions for deceased daughters in inherited properties from 4.9 per cent to a nominal Rs 200. Additionally, for home loans up to Rs 1 crore, the maximum registration fee has been reduced from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5,000, making housing loans more affordable, ”he said.
