Pune and MMR to Adopt Micro-Zoning for More Accurate Ready Reckoner Rates from 2027

Pune, 20th March 2026: Ready reckoner (RR) rates in Maharashtra are set to become more realistic in the coming years as the state revenue department plans to introduce a micro-zoning system to determine property values more accurately, senior officials have revealed.

The proposed system will replace the existing broad zone-based RR structure with a more detailed mechanism that captures price variations within smaller localities. This move is expected to address long-standing concerns that the current system often assigns the same valuation to vastly different types of properties located within the same area.

At present, ready reckoner rates are determined based on large zones, a method that has frequently been criticized for not reflecting actual market conditions on the ground. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule recently announced that the micro-zoning system is expected to be introduced from April 1, 2027, initially in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and Pune, where sharp socio-economic differences exist even within small neighborhoods. The system will later be expanded across the state.

Under the existing structure, smaller houses, slums, and chawls located close to luxury residential towers often fall under the same RR category, resulting in similar valuation for dissimilar properties. The proposed micro-zoning framework aims to correct such disparities by allowing separate valuations even within the same geographic zone.

To implement the new system, the government plans to use Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to digitally map individual properties. This will enable authorities to determine values at the plot and building level rather than applying a uniform rate to an entire street or neighborhood.

After the mapping exercise is completed, the revised zone-wise and plot-wise RR rates will be published in a transparent format and made available for download from the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) portal, officials said. The revenue department has also directed its field machinery to fix separate rates for different types of properties, including slums, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects, chawls, older non-redeveloped buildings, as well as industrial, commercial, and residential properties.

According to Bawankule, buyers of smaller or older flats often end up paying disproportionately high stamp duty because the RR rates in their area are influenced by nearby premium developments. The proposed system is expected to reduce such distortions.

Real estate developers have welcomed the idea, saying a more accurate valuation system is needed. A city-based developer expressed that GIS-based mapping could help establish realistic ready reckoner rates and expressed hope that the proposal would be implemented soon.

The introduction of micro-zoning is expected to bring a more equitable and transparent property valuation system, benefiting both buyers and sellers in the real estate market. The move is seen as a significant step towards modernizing property valuation practices in Maharashtra.