Abhimanyu Kumar Singh, a non-resident Indian, came to Patna from Dubai last month to buy a plot of land to get a house built for his daughter-in-law. He was stunned to know the registration fee of land at Rajendra Nagar.

Singh, a resident of Samastipur district, was asked to pay the minimum registration price of land at the rate of Rs 9 lakh per decimal. He was surprised at the unprecedented rise in the circle rate fixed by the state government for registration of land in Patna.

But he went ahead with the registration process. So have been others despite steep rise in the circle rates of land.

Sub-registrar of Patna registration office Ashok Kumar Thakur told The Telegraph that the revised circle rate had not affected registration of deeds. The revision of the circle rate came into effect from April 1, 2012. “The revenue has increased in the initial five months,” Thakur said.

The hike in the circle rates of land had triggered a perception that people would not purchase or invest in real estate in Patna. But the reality has been just the opposite.

From April to August this year, as many as 15,079 deeds were registered under Patna Sadar as against 13,494 deeds in the corresponding period of last year.

Registration department minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav ruled out a rollback in the circle rates for registration of property. “The circle rates are revised in urban areas every year. In rural areas, the circle rates are revised every two years,” he said, adding that the hike in the circle rates had little impact on the registration of deeds.

People like Singh, who purchased land at Rajendra Nagar, were not happy with the revised rates, though.

“The circle rate was not as high last year. I bought a plot of land in the same locality for my elder daughter-in-law and got it registered at Rs 6.5 lakh per decimal last December. Now, it has gone up to Rs 9 lakh per decimal. The hike in a year is unbelievable,” Singh said.

He got the land registered at the Patna registration office in the name of his daughter-in-law Rekha Kumari despite the rise.

“After all, I have come to Patna for this purpose. Whatever be the price of registration, I have to get the work done. I paid the price fixed for registration of land by the government,” he added.