Jaipur: To meet the development cost of Prithviraj Nagar Scheme, the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department might impose additional development charges on residents. The proposal is being discussed among the department officials and a decision could be arrived soon.

Sources said the department could not ‘settle’ the regularisation rates of the scheme. Initially, the rates had been proposed from minimum Rs 100 to Rs 200 per sqm. This rate was proposed for up to 300 sqm houses only while the rate would be increased as the plot area increases.

But, the rate cannot be fixed on practical grounds. If the department officials and engineers are to be believed ideally the rate should be Rs 1,000-1,200 per sqm. This rate proposal is cost-effective to develop the scheme without giving any financial burden on the government or JDA. The rate, however, could not be proposed just to appease hundreds of families of the scheme. The rate could also become a burning issue in the next assembly election.

To sort out the regularisation rate issue, the department had come up with another idea. Additional development charges might be proposed for the development. If any colony or mohalla wants development, then these rates could be imposed and charges will be recovered additionally.

“The regularisation rate could not be hiked according to cost needed for the development of the scheme. Obviously, the additional development might be proposed,” a JDA official associated with the planning of the scheme said, adding the UDH department may mull charges.

Notably, the Rajasthan high court in its verdict last year had said the scheme area could not be de-acquired. Then the government planned to regularise the scheme considering it as acquired. The reports of regularisation rates hogged the headlines but no decision has been taken so far.