Editor,
Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in land prices over the past decade. What was once a modest township has rapidly transformed into an urban hotspot and with this, the cost of land has skyrocketed. The troubling reality, however, is that this inflation remains largely unregulated, with no transparent pricing mechanism in place, allowing speculative markets to thrive unchecked.
Plots that were priced at Rs 10-15 lakhs per 1,000 square metres a few years ago now command prices exceeding Rs 1 crore in prime localities like Naharlagun, Chimpu, or Bank Tinali. Even semi-urban areas like Banderdewa and Lekhi have seen steep appreciation. This explosion is largely driven by:
# Rapid urbanization and housing demand.
# Expansion of administrative and commercial functions.
# Real estate speculation and land hoarding.
Yet, no unified land valuation index exists for Itanagar. Transactions often occur informally or through power of attorney, bypassing official channels. Circle rates fixed by the Land Revenue Department are outdated and do not reflect market realities, resulting in undervaluation, tax loss, and black money circulation.
Despite the economic significance of land transactions, no dedicated regulatory body monitors or intervenes in land price inflation in the capital region. While other states have instituted Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERA) or digital land valuation portals, Arunachal still depends heavily on manual verification, customary tenure systems, and undocumented transfers, especially in rural belts surrounding the capital.
This vacuum has led to a non-transparent, broker-dominated market where genuine buyers – especially local youths and middle-class families – are priced out.
Unchecked land price inflation has serious implications:
# Displacement of urban poor and lower-income groups.
# Stalling of affordable housing initiatives.
# Surge in informal settlements and legal disputes.
# Difficulty for the government to acquire land for public projects without conflict.
To address this challenge, a multi-pronged strategy is urgently needed:
# A district land price valuation committee should be activated with annual price revision based on market studies.
# Roll out full implementation of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) across Papum Pare and ICR.
# All land sales, including customary and clan land, must be registered formally under the Land Settlement and Records Act.
# Introduce a capital region land monitoring authority. Similar to RERA, this authority should monitor real estate practices and curb speculative pricing.
# Involve GBs, youth organizations, and NGOs to promote fair practices and awareness in local land markets.
The capital of Arunachal is at a crossroads. While growth is inevitable, it cannot come at the cost of chaos. Without proactive regulation, Itanagar risks becoming a city affordable only to a few and hostile to the many. The government, civil society, and citizens must act collectively to bring equity, order, and transparency to land pricing in our fast-growing capital.
Citizens