Indian Express 14.12.2010
MCD House meet disrupted over property tax hike
Express News Service Tags : J K Sharma, MCD Commissioner K S Mehra Posted: Tue Dec 14 2010, 03:00 hrs
New Delhi: The proposed five-per cent hike in house tax led to an uproar by the Opposition Congress in the MCD House meeting on Monday, leading to adjournment of the meet minutes after it began. Peeved with the continuous adjournment of MCD House and Standing Committee meetings due to such disruptions, the civic body is planning to deploy marshals similar to what is followed in the Assembly and Parliament sessions.While Congress councillors, under the leadership of J K Sharma, disrupted the House with slogans saying the ruling BJP pressurised MCD Commissioner K S Mehra into proposing the increase in taxes, BJP leaders opposed the allegation, saying they have already rejected the proposal.
Leader of the MCD House Subhash Arya said the Opposition creates an uproar in the meetings unnecessarily, leading to adjournments that hampers discussions on civic issues.
“There is no provision in any civic body for deploying marshals for the purpose. But in view of the forceful adjournments, it seems marshals will have to be deployed. Also, those who frequently disrupt House meetings and create a nuisance would be evicted immediately so that the proceedings can go smoothly,” said Arya.
The BJP-led MCD is now planning to approach the Lieutenant-Governor over the issue. “We will meet the L-G and also write to the Minister of Home Affairs in this regard,” said Arya. In his budget speech last week, Mehra had proposed a five-percent hike in property tax to address the financial woes of the civic body. Yogender Chandolia, BJP leader and Chairman of Standing Committee, had rejected the proposal immediately after his speech. He said:
“The BJP rejects the proposal. Instead we are trying to include more people in the tax net. Owners of only 9 lakh of 30 lakh properties pay tax.”
