Rajasthan hikes royalty on minerals

Rajasthan has hiked the royalty on minerals such as marble, granite, sandstone, limestone, chips and bajri (river sand).

The royalty on marble tiles has been increased from Rs.290 per tonne to Rs.350 per tonne, a government statement said.

Similarly, the royalty on marble has been increased by Rs.100 per tonne and that on the famous Makrana marble has been revised from Rs.300 per tonne to Rs.400 per tonne.

In Jaipur, a royalty of Rs.20 per tonne was being collected on bajri, and now it would be charged at the rate of Rs.30 per tonne.

On granite the royalty has been hiked from Rs.20 to Rs.60 depending on block size.

Even masonry stone has not been spared from the increase. In Jaipur, Alwar, Sikar, Bharatpur and Jhunjhunu, the state government has increased royalty rates from the existing Rs.22 per tonne to Rs.30 per tonne.

In other cities, it has been increased from Rs.17 per tonne to Rs.22 per tonne.

"The rise in royalty of these minerals will increase construction costs and will hurt people who are constructing their houses the most," Surendra Rajpurohit, a real estate developer, told IANS.

Rajpurohit said the real estate sector was passing through a difficult phase and the announcement, made by the state government late Tuesday, will compound their problems.

"I expect a rise of around 10-15 percent in the construction cost because of this," he said.