Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Taxation

House nod to withdraw notice on property tax

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 05:47 administrator
Print PDF

The Pioneer  30.11.2010

House nod to withdraw notice on property tax

Staff Reporter | New Delhi

Criticising the BJP-ruled MCD for imposing house tax from unauthorised colonies and villages, the Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a motion (under Rule 107) seeking withdrawal of notices issued by MCD for recovery of house tax from residents of Delhi’s 1,639 unauthorised colonies and all villages in the national capital. Notably, the ruling BJP had already passed a resolution in the MCD’s Standing Committee for withdrawal of property tax from unauthorized colonies and villages. The proposal was mooted by MCD Commissioner KS Mehra to improve the financial health of the civic body.

The motion was moved by Congress member Mukesh Sharma. The motion said the house should ensure that no house or property tax be levied on residents of 1,639 unauthorised colonies of Delhi and on the original owners of the property and their heirs in the 365 rural and urban villages who are putting their property for their personal use.

Making scathing attack on the MCD, the Congress members also blasted the BJP leaders for “politicising the issue and misleading the people of rural areas” that the tax was being sought by the Delhi Government, when in fact the move was that of the MCD.

Replying on the motion in the absence of the Opposition BJP in the House, Urban Development Minister Ashok Kumar Walia said that levying property tax on properties in unauthorized colonies and urbanized villages makes no case.

“The civic body has already been collecting property tax from unauthorized colonies, urban villages and rural villages. The property tax collection for the year 2009-10 was Rs.20 crore from unauthorized colonies, Rs.2 crore from urban villages and Rs.8 crore from rural villages. They have been collecting property tax from 9 lakh dwelling units whereas they have no interest in providing civic services as entire system of the MCD has collapsed and there is no maintenance of roads, parks and colonies including unauthorized colonies,” said Walia adding that there is a substantial difference in words and actions of the MCD.

The Minister also stated that the MCD has been taking recourse of blaming Delhi Government to suppress its failures whereas Delhi Government is not at all involving itself in politics.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 05:49
 

MCD hits back on property tax row

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 00:00 administrator
Print PDF

Hindustan Times  30.11.2010

MCD hits back on property tax row

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has hit back at the Delhi government  and demanded an official notification to exempt unauthorised colonies and urban villages from property tax. The civic agency’s demand came a day after Delhi finance minister Dr AK Walia criticised the MCD for collecting property tax from these areas.

“The authority to take decision in this regard rests with  the Delhi government, but due to political motives, they are ignoring the resolutions passed by the local body,” said Yogender Chandolia, MCD standing committee chairman, on Tuesday and dared Delhi government to immediately issue the notification for property tax exemption in villages.

Chandolia also claimed the Delhi government has not paid any heed to five resolutions passed by the MCD between 2007 and 2010 in this regard.

About regularisation of the unauthorised colonies, he agreed that the civic body has to finalise layout plans, but before that the Delhi government has to finalise boundaries.

Chandolia also read out dates and resolution numbers sent to Delhi government for further action, including the holdings in “lal-dora and lal-dora extensions to be exempted from property tax”.

This was apart from the list of “properties in unauthorised colonies that were to be kept out of the tax net until they were regularised”.

On Monday, while replying to a motion on property tax on unauthorised colonies and urbanised villages moved by MLA Mukesh Sharma, Walia had said: “The MCD has been collecting property tax from nine lakh dwelling units whereas they have no interest in providing civic services and there is no maintenance of roads, parks and colonies including unauthorised colonies.”

Walia also mentioned that the civic agency had collected property tax worth R20 crore, R2 crore and R8 crore from unauthorised colonies, urban villages and rural villages respectively in 2009-10.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 December 2010 11:40
 

Before enforcing new tax system, BMC must measure 60,000 slum properties

Monday, 29 November 2010 10:18 administrator
Print PDF

Indian Express          29.11.2010

Before enforcing new tax system, BMC must measure 60,000 slum properties

sharvaripatwa Tags : corporation, new tax system Posted: Mon Nov 29 2010, 06:18 hrs

 Mumbai:  In its effort to meet the deadline for introducing a capital value-based property tax system, the BMC is struggling with a mammoth task: measuring the precise area of each of 60,000-odd slum properties.

“It is a big challenge for the department but we are trying our best to implement the new system before March 2011,” said Ravikant B Dalvi, deputy asssessor & collector. “A major challenge is collecting the data for the area of slum properties”, a necessity. Most such properties measure under 500 sq ft and are therefore unlikely to see any significant change in property tax, but their area still needs to be accounted for.

The BMC has calculated the area for 2.35 lakh of the city’s 3.35 lakh properties. “Calculating the area for remaining 1 lakh is proving a big challenge,” said an official, citing shortage of staff. A senior official said they have repeatedly requested for additional staff. “We have senior staff but not enough at base level to collect the data for calculating the area.”

Of the 1 lakh properties that remain, about 60-65 per cent are in slums. “So far, no government agency has any measurements for their areas, although other records are available,” he said. Another roadblock is the absence of public suggestions and objections on the new system. Owing to the poor response, the deadline has been extended. “As of now about 15 responses have been received. We at least 1 lakh complaints when we send the revised bills,” said the official. 

The new system will be calculate tax from a property’s market value with weightage given to factors such as area, a building’s age, land usage and type of construction. The present system computes tax on the basis of a property’s notional rent-earning capacity.

Last Updated on Monday, 29 November 2010 10:20
 
More Articles...


Page 146 of 265