Real Estate Properties in Darjeeling

Darjeeling is a popular hill station in the state of West Bengal and is known as the ‘Queen of Hills’. Situated in the Lesser Himalayas, also called the Mahabharat Range, this town belongs to the Darjeeling district and is the headquarters for the same.

The place is dotted with public schools following the British style of teaching. This has always attracted people from all over India and abroad. The result is a mixed culture. The town primarily comprises people who are Nepalese, Bengali, Tibetan, and from various other ethno-linguistic groups.

A popular tourist destination, this town started on the path of development from a long time ago. Mid-nineteenth century saw significant changes in the landscape of Darjeeling, with the setting up of a military depot by the colonial British administration. The weak economy of Darjeeling has gradually progressed with the ever-increasing demand for better utilization of resources, because of the growth in tourism.

Stats and Facts

• The population of Darjeeling, as per the census report of 2011, stands at 1,32,016.
• According to the same report, the sex ratio in Darjeeling is 1005 females per 1000 males, which is well above the national average sex ratio of 940 females per 1000 males.
• According to the census of 2011, Darjeeling has a literacy rate of 93.17% for population older than six years old.
• The town is famous for its Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which has been marked as a world heritage site by UNESCO. It boasts of the steam locomotive.
• During the Gorkhaland movement of the 1980s, Darjeeling was the main center of all activities.
• Mt. Everest and Kanchenjunga are visible from Darjeeling. The town, thus, attracts many tourists.
• Different species of plants, both common and rare, are preserved at the Lloyd’s Botanical Garden in Darjeeling.
• The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in this town deals with the conservation and breeding of the endangered Himalayan species.
• A conservation centre for red pandas has been in progress in Darjeeling.

Tourism and Tea Industry

• The tea industry here is the major contributor to the economy of Darjeeling. The climatic conditions of this town are suitable for agro-based activities. The tea cultivated here has a different flavor obtained naturally.
• Darjeeling tea is world famous. Almost 7% of the tea output in India is contributed by this hilly town. This accounts for almost 9 million kilograms of the produce every single year.
• Besides tea, other crops that are grown in Darjeeling are maize, paddy, ginger, millets, potato and cardamom.
• In addition to the tea industry, Darjeeling’s economy is highly dependent on the tourism industry. It’s the only place in the eastern part of India to attract a large number of tourists, both from India and abroad.
• Darjeeling has been a popular choice for the film industry. Many Bengali and Bollywood movies have shot in this town making the place more popular.

Connectivity

• Darjeeling is connected by road mainly by the National Highway 55 (NH-55) from Siliguri, which is 77 km far. There are bus services too that connect the town with Siliguri. Darjeeling has road connectivity with places like Kurseong, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Kathmandu and Bagdogra.
• The intra-city transport infrastructure comprises two-wheelers and taxis mainly for covering short distances.
• Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connect the city to New Jalpaiguri, an 88-km stretch.
• There are ropeways in Darjeeling that are used by the locals. These are mainly a tourist attraction.
• Darjeeling can be reached by air only through its nearest airport at Bagdogra, which is located about 90 km away from the town.

Darjeeling Civic Administration

• The civic administrative responsibilities of Darjeeling are looked after by the Darjeeling Municipality. It’s known to be one of the oldest administrative units in India.
• The town of Darjeeling is made up of 32 wards.
• The citizens of the respective wards elect a councilor for each ward.
• The board of councilors consists of a councilor from each ward along with some members who are not elected but nominated by the state government.
• A chairman is appointed who is elected by the councilors.
• Darjeeling municipality follows the system of Chairman-in-Council for governing the town. It is made up of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman and seven members from the board of Councilors.
• The Chairman, the municipality’s executive head, looks after the municipal corporation. Furthermore, he distributes the different municipal functions amongst the members of the Chairman-in-Council who are nominated by him.
• The Vice-Chairman fills into the Chairman’s shoes in his absence.
• All the functions of administration that come under Darjeeling municipality are taken care of by the committee headed by the Chairman-in-Council.
• The maintenance of law and order in the town is the duty of the Darjeeling district police force. It’s a part of the West Bengal Police Force.
• A Deputy Superintendent looks after the security and law affairs of the town.

Darjeeling Infrastructure

The city of Darjeeling saw infrastructural development right from the age-old colonial times. Presently, the city has a weak infrastructure but the situation is set to change. With an intention to boost the department of tourism in Darjeeling, the government is taking steps to improve the condition of the city.

With new infrastructural facilities coming up in the city, Darjeeling will be able to transform the tourism sector from being a liability to an asset and generate more revenue. Apart from this, the city is developing in the residential and commercial sector too. Better infrastructure is expected to pave way for an increased demand in the real estate market.

Darjeeling Real Estate

• Darjeeling being a hilly town has seen the property rates scaling up to almost double for the past 5 years. This is due to the land crunch observed in the hills.
• This town has not restricted investment in land only to the locals. Even the outsiders can invest in Darjeeling property here which has a rising demand because it’s a hill station.
• Major groups like the Panoramic Group and the Ambujas are developing hotels in Darjeeling.
• Places like Chalsa are attracting tourists, who seem to be interested in investing here.

Key Localities in Darjeeling

Average land price in Darjeeling: Rs. 1.5 lakh/pole of land (1 pole of land = 275 sq. ft. approx.)

Average price of Darjeeling flats in Darjeeling: Rs. 1000/sq. ft.

• *1 cottah = 720 sq. ft.
• Other Key Localities
• Tenzing Rock
• Senchal Lake
• Tiger Hill
• Observatory Hill

Charges by Government Bodies

Property Registration

Stamp duty: 5% + surcharge at â…• of the stamp duty + 2% additional duty

West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited

The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) is responsible for power generation, distribution, and transmission in the state of West Bengal, including in Durgapur.

Electricity Tariff

Darjeeling Municipal Corporation

The responsibility of distributing water throughout the city comes under the ambit of Darjeeling Municipal Corporation. The source of water is the natural spring in the Senchal range. The water is purified at the Jorebungalow filtration plant. In addition, when the water dries during summers, the water is obtained from a stream called Khong Khola.