NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Wednesday said owners of properties in unauthorized colonies, rural and urbanized villages in the city will not need to pay house tax from now on.

A meeting of MCD standing committee passed a resolution in this regard and also directed the MCD commissioner neither to collect property tax from such areas nor send any tax demand notices to residents there, in accordance to section 177, of DMC Act. Standing committee chairman Yogender Chandolia also passed a condemnation notice against Urban development minister, A K Walia for giving wrong information in the Delhi Assembly about the money given to MCD for expenditure in rural areas.

The BJP-ruled MCD`s move came two days after the Delhi Assembly passed a motion that properties in unauthorized colonies be exempted from house tax till their regularization while in rural and urbanized villages, original owners or heirs of properties who are making personal use of such units should also be exempted from tax. During the discussion on the motion, ruling Congress MLAs had said the MCD has issued tax notices to many people in such localities.

``We have decided that we will not collect tax from unauthorized colonies till their regularization. From villages, we were not collecting tax anyway, and the commissioner has been asked to ensure that no tax notices are sent to residents of such areas. If he finds any difficulties in ensuring this, we may approach the L-G and Union home minister to arrive at a solution on the issue,`` Chandolia said.