New GIS-based guidance value system will be piloted from April: Krishna Byre Gowda

Bengaluru: A new system to automate the calculation of guidance values for immovable properties will be piloted from April, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said with his fingers crossed hoping that delays in software development won't further stall the ambitious project.

Guidance value is the base price on which property transactions have to take place. The government is linking this with the Geographic Information System (GIS) to curb manipulation or undervaluation of properties. 

Under the new system, citizens will get an interface on which they can enter their asset details and the guidance value will be auto-fetched during property registration. 

"We are retaining human role, but removing discretion. Right now, the discretion is being misused," Gowda said, adding that officials manipulate details of a property's nature and location to favour certain people. "Under the GIS-based system, the rates are automatically fetched." 

The revenue department has identified four taluks where the new system will be piloted: Nelamangala, Hosadurga, Shahapur and Yelandur. 

However, the e-Governance department has been unable to keep its end of the bargain by developing software for the GIS-based guidance value system. In fact, the e-Governance department has missed a two-week deadline for software development that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah set on February 15. 

"We wanted to pilot the new system late last year followed by a statewide rollout in early 2025," Gowda said. "Now, the plan is to do a pilot by April."

Undervaluation of properties is causing revenue leakage, Gowda said. "It is also a source of corruption and harassment. We have been working on this for the last 7-8 months," he said. 

Plugging revenue leaks is important for the government, which is eyeing Rs 28,000 crore from stamps and registrations in 2025-26. In the current fiscal that ends March 31, the government fell short by Rs 2,000 crore against a target of Rs 26,000 crore. 

The GIS-based system will also come in handy during revision of guidance values. 

"Now, I depend entirely on human intelligence," Gowda said. "We will have a decision support system that will get 50 per cent of weightage. We will have data on the volume and price of transactions in a 1 km and 5 km radius of an area. The remaining 50 per cent will be subjective," he added.

Highlights - New system Citizens will get an interface on which they can enter their asset details and the guidance value will be auto-fetched during property registration  Revenue dept has identified Nelamangala, Hosadurga, Shahapur and Yelandur taluks where the new system will be piloted

"We are retaining human role but removing discretion. Right now the discretion is being misused," Krishna Byre Gowda Revenue Minister.