Urban News

Indian Express 18.03.2010

Rs 1,019 crore in, MCD nears target

Ayesha Arvind Tags : property tax, delhi Posted: Thursday , Mar 18, 2010 at 0013 hrs

9.6 lakh have paid up this year express archive

New Delhi: For the first time since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) introduced the unit area method for property tax computation in 2004, the civic agency has claimed that it will be able to meet its property tax collection target.

The civic body had set itself a target of collecting Rs 1,150 crore as property tax (including transfer duty) by March 31 this year. Officials claim that till now, the MCD has already received a sum of Rs 1,019 crore.

The municipal body’s online property tax portal, too, seems to be a hit with citizens, for as per records, around 40 per cent of the total taxpayers paid their dues online.

Around 9.6 lakh people have paid their property tax dues this time. As on March 16, the Corporation had received around Rs 412 crore as transfer duty and Rs 607 crore as property tax.

In comparison, the MCD had received Rs 500 crore as property tax as on March 16 last year.

The MCD officials credit the increase in tax collection to the amnesty scheme introduced this year. Under the scheme, all previous property tax defaulters could pay their dues without paying any interest or penalty.

“The last time we introduced the amnesty scheme, only 75 per cent of the interest and the penalty was waived off. This time, however, no interest or penalty was charged from the defaulters,” an official said.

The ongoing zonal survey by the Survey of India ¿ to identify properties in the Capital eligible to pay tax — has also helped the MCD identify more taxpayers and bring them under its tax net.

* A survey of all farmhouses and properties in industrial areas to begin soon

* Online property tax portal being upgraded by IT firm Tech Mahindra, as part of its e-governance project