The Hindu 02.12.2010
MCD to forgo property tax in villages, illegal colonies
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has decided not to levy property tax on property owners in rural areas, urbanised villages and unauthorised colonies from now onwards.
A meeting of the MCD Standing Committee passed a resolution in this regard and also directed the Municipal Commissioner neither to collect property tax from such areas nor send any tax demand notices to property owners there.
The BJP-ruled MCD's move comes against the backdrop of recent motion passed by the Delhi Assembly that properties in unauthorised colonies be exempted from house tax till their regularisation while in rural and urbanised 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.
Dubbing the Assembly motion as a “political move”, MCD Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia said: “Since the last three years we have passed several resolutions stating that no property tax should be levied in unauthorised colonies, urbanised villages and rural areas. But the Delhi Government did not forward our resolution to the Central Government neither then nor when it was in power in 2004 so why is it passing a motion on it now if not to meet political motives.”
According to Mr. Chandolia, since over 1,600 unauthorised colonies have no proper provision for water, electricity and civic services the BJP-ruled MCD wanted that the Delhi Government should first pass their layout plans and regularise them so that the civic body can begin providing civic services there and only thereafter levy property tax from them.
“However, without giving any regularisation certificates to these colonies the Delhi Government has passed the motion in the Delhi Assembly. The MCD Standing Committee condemns this motion and it has passed another resolution on Wednesday directing the Municipal Commissioner to issue a notice that no property tax would be recovered from these areas,” he added.
