Mumbai: In a major concession to Sindhi refugees, the state govt has decided to charge 2.5% of the Ready Reckoner (RR) Rate of the property in their possession to convert to freehold if it is residential and 5% if commercial.Further, 2.5% of the RR Rate will be required to be paid for residential properties for every violation and 5% for commercial in case of violations. The scheme for refugees will be available for one year.The Govt Resolution announcing the Special Amnesty Scheme – 2025, issued Thursday by the state revenue dept, has sparked outrage among residents on leasehold lands. “At present, the govt has offered to convert our Occupancy Class II lands, popularly known as collector’s land, and leasehold lands to freehold. The rate of conversion is fixed at 10% of the RR Rate for cooperative housing societies, 15-25% for other residential plots, and 50% for commercial plots.This is unjust. The govt decision will provide major relief to refugee families facing land conversion and violation regularisation issues, but there cannot be such a huge discrimination between Indian citizens born here and refugees,” said Salil Rameschandra, president, Federation of Grantees of Govt Lands. Rameshchandra said there are 22,000 cooperative housing societies across the state, many over 50 years old. “Residents are unable to pay even the 10% RR Rate for conversion of their land to freehold… Govt must rethink the conversion rate.” — Clara Lewis