How to Price Land in Patna 2026: MVR, Nearby Deals, Fair Value

Step 1: find today's MVR for your land

MVR (Minimum Value Register, often called the circle rate) is the government value below which stamp duty cannot be charged. Stamp duty is charged on the deed price or the MVR value, whichever is higher. What changed in 2026:

• 19 June 2026: existing MVR rates raised once, 1.6 times in rural and 2 times in urban and peripheral areas.
• From then on: MVR rises by 5% at the start of every financial year. The district valuation committee does a full revision every 3 years.
• Uniform land categories statewide, priced per decimal. Rural and peripheral: commercial, industrial, residential, beside highways or MDRs, irrigated, unirrigated, fallow. Urban: principal, main and branch road (commercial/residential), other lanes, industrial, agricultural/non-residential.

So a 2024 MVR figure, an old video or a broker's sheet can be half of today's. Ask the sub-registry office (or the deed's service provider) for today's MVR for your mauza, thana number, khesra and category. Online lookup: how to check Patna MVR. Then convert: MVR is per decimal, Patna plots are quoted in kattha. 1 kattha is 1/32 acre and 1 decimal is 1/100 acre. So 1 kattha = 3.125 decimal (about 1,361 sq ft; local measures can vary). Use our kattha converter.

Illustration only (not a real rate): if the MVR for your category were ₹1,00,000 per decimal, a 5-kattha plot (15.625 decimal) would have an MVR value of ₹15,62,500. Stamp duty would be charged on at least that amount. Work out the buyer's cost with our registry charges calculator.

Step 2: see what land near you actually sold for

MVR is a floor, not the market. In much of Patna and its fringe, deals happen above MVR. The best evidence is recent registered sale deeds for plots near yours:

• Under the Registration Act, anyone can inspect the register and get a certified copy of a registered deed by paying the fee. You don't need the parties' permission.
• Deeds registered on or after 16 December 2024: certified copy from e-Nibandhan. Deeds up to 15 December 2024: search on Bhumijankari by name, khata, khesra or deed number. How: how to get a kewala copy.
• Pick 2–3 deeds from the last year in the same mauza, same category, similar road. Divide the price by the area to get a per-kattha figure.

Step 3: adjust for what makes your plot worth more or less

The papers row is the one you control. Fixing it first (see fix your land papers before selling) often pays back more than any bargaining.

Why a below-MVR price in the deed hurts the seller too

• Undervaluation case (Stamp Act, amended August 2026): a deed below MVR, or with the land's category, location or structure wrongly stated, is referred to the Collector/AIG before registration. The Collector can also reopen a deed within 4 years. Deliberate misstatement draws a penalty of 100% of the deficit duty.
• Your income tax: if the stamp duty value is more than 110% of the deed price, your capital gain is worked out on the stamp duty value. Writing a lower price saves you nothing. See capital gains tax on selling land.

What should you do? (Our advice)

• Get today's MVR in writing for your khesra and category before you quote any number.
• Collect 2–3 recent deeds from your mauza; show them to buyers. Evidence ends arguments.
• Price the papers in: fix the jamabandi and co-sharer issues first, then ask for the full price.
• Full price in the deed, all by bank. No below-MVR deeds, no cash portion.
• Selling near March? Sign the agreement with a bank advance before April.

Pricing land in Patna: frequently asked questions

1. Why can an old deed show a lower price than the real deal?

   Many deeds simply state the MVR of their time. So a deed from before 19 June 2026 can show the old, lower MVR rather than the real deal price. Treat such deeds with care.

2. Does a below-MVR deed hurt the buyer too?

   Yes. If the stamp duty value exceeds the price by more than the higher of ₹50,000 and 10% of the price, the buyer can be taxed on the difference. A careful buyer will refuse such a deed.

3. Can part of the price be paid in cash?

   No. Apart from being illegal, it is a trap for the seller. No one may receive ₹2 lakh or more in cash for one transaction; the penalty equals the amount. Cash advances of ₹20,000 or more are barred too. And cash promised "after the registry" often never comes. Write the full price in the deed and take it all by bank.

4. I agree the deal in February but register in May. Which MVR applies?

   MVR rises 5% each April, so registration may face a higher MVR. For income tax there is help: if the price is fixed in an agreement and part is paid by bank on or before that date, the stamp duty value on the agreement date can be used for the seller's gain and the buyer's check. Stamp duty itself is charged at registration; ask the sub-registry office which MVR they will apply. More: bayana and the sale agreement.

Written on 22 October 2026. Sources: the June and August 2026 Bihar Gazette notifications on MVR, stamp duty and undervaluation, the Registration Act 1908 and the Income-tax Act 2025. It quotes no market rate for any locality; ask the sub-registry office for today's MVR.