Chandigarh, March 25 -- The UT administration has notified revised collector rates for properties, effective from April 1, marking an increase between 8% and 22% across residential, commercial and agricultural segments. Collector rate is the minimum value below which a property cannot be registered. Stamp duty and registration charges are calculated on this rate, meaning any increase directly raises the cost of property transactions. This comes just a year after the UT implemented a steep hike in collector rates - fourfold rise for residential properties in villages, 130% hike in Sectors 1 to 12, 96% in Sectors 14 to 37, 80% in Sectors 38 and beyond. According to Tuesday's notification, rates for Industrial Area in Phase I and II have been fixed at Rs.86,000 per square yard, while Phase III stands at Rs.62,600 per square yard, marking a moderate upward revision. The commercial segment has recorded a sharp (15-20% hike) increase as prime booth sites in key sectors, such as 17, 22 and 35, are now pegged at Rs.5.92 lakh per square yard. In Shivalik Enclave, the rate is Rs.4.10 lakh per square yard, while it is Rs.2.33 lakh per square yard for Motor Market in Manimajra. The ground floor rates in Elante Mall have been set at Rs.31,200 per sq ft, with upper floors priced lower, indicating a 10-15% increase over previous benchmarks. In the residential category, collector rates have been fixed at Rs.2.37 lakh per square yard for plots in Sectors 1 to 12, and Rs.1.81 lakh per square yard for Sectors 14 to 37. Peripheral sectors beyond Sector 38 are priced at Rs.1.33 lakh per square yard, reflecting an overall increase of 10-18%. The housing units, including independent houses and flats, have seen 8-12% rise. The agricultural land segment saw 20-25% surge as Manimajra land above two kanal has been valued at Rs.4.61 crore per acre, while rates in Raipur Khurd and Behlana stand at Rs.4.01 crore per acre. Vikram Chopra, president of the property consultants' association, termed the revision a "dictatorial move". "Can government officials themselves afford houses at such prices? If not, why impose such a burden on people?" he asked, warning that it could severely impact the city's real estate market. Kamal Gupta, a property dealer, said the move could slow down property transactions in the city....