The Hindu 01.02.2010
Congress demands a roll back of proposed MCD taxes
Staff Reporter
| Concern over ‘slow’ pace of C’wealth Games’ projects |
‘Instead of exploiting MCD resources, the BJP has chosen to burden the common man’
‘The civic body should expand the property tax net rather than increasing it’
NEW DELHI: The MCD Leader of Opposition, J. K. Sharma, has criticised the BJP-ruled civic body for proposing introduction of several new taxes in the budget estimates for the year 2010-11 and demanded a roll back of the proposal to increase the property tax rates. He also frowned upon the “slow” pace of several Commonwealth Games-related projects undertaken by the civic body.
Initiating a discussion on the budget in the MCD house over the weekend, Mr. Sharma said: “Instead of exploiting the civic body’s own resources, the BJP has chosen to burden the common man.”
“We are receiving property tax only from 30 per cent of the total properties and need to exploit the remaining 70 per cent. For this we should not wait for the Survey of India’s report but instead identify the properties on the basis of the voters’ list and send notices to those property owners who are not paying tax and filing returns. The property tax due on government and semi-government properties is also not being realised. The Municipal Commissioner should personally take up the matter with the bodies concerned to recover property tax dues,” he added.
According to Mr. Sharma, though the MCD property tax department was the most important department, yet it was the “most neglected.” “Nearly one-third of the posts in the department are lying vacant. The property returns are not being fed into the computer and there is no record available with the department,” he added.
Mr. Sharma also expressed concern over the progress being made with regard to Commonwealth Games-related projects.
“The infrastructure projects for the Games are lagging behind. The progress with regard to road under-bridges is a matter of concern. Work has not been started on 11 road under-bridges. Of the 21 multi-level parking sites, work has been initiated only on four. Construction of the proposed 1,000 waterless urinals has also not started,” he added.
