Indian Express 11.03.2010
MCD sealing ‘threat’ pulls in Rs 100 cr in 2 months
Ayesha Arvind Tags : MCD sealings drive, delhi Posted: Thursday , Mar 11, 2010 at 0038 hrs
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision to begin sealing action against defaulters of conversion and parking charges has had a positive effect on the civic body’s cash register.While many zones deferred the sealing drive last week as traders came in numbers to deposit their dues, the MCD has collected around Rs 100 crore as conversion and parking charges in the last two months.
In all, the municipality has collected over Rs 750 crore till date in the ongoing fiscal.
The sealing drive was to begin last Monday but most zones postponed it after many traders came to pay conversion charges for mixed-land use. “Our main aim is to collect these charges and not seal properties. So we deferred our decision,” an official said.
In the ongoing financial year, the civic body has collected Rs 524 crore as conversion charges and Rs 234 crore as parking charges, as on February 28, MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said.
Traders across 2,853 roads are supposed to pay conversion charges, parking charges and registration fees under Masterplan 2021.
In January, more than 1 lakh traders were still due to make their payment, MCD officials said. “The threat of sealing, however, has forced many traders to register their properties,” an official said. “And those who have already registered their properties paid the conversion charges due.”
According to MCD, Central zone alone collected over Rs 20 crore from January 1 till date this year. While the zone received Rs 12 crore in February, it collected Rs 8.9 crore in the past 10 days alone. According to an officer in the central zone buildings department, more than 2,000 people, including defaulters and new registrations, have till date paid their due amount.
The Paharganj zone and South zone offices of MCD have each collected approximately Rs 2.5 crore in the last one month as conversion charges. Over 800 traders have applied for registration of properties in Paharganj zone, officials said. While Rohini zone is yet to assimilate data of collection and registration, the West zone will initiate the sealing drive next week.
MCD's West zone had collected Rs 22 crore as conversion charges in the last financial year.
MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said though the sealing drive has been successful in reining in many defaulters, the civic body is in no mood to relent and discontinue it.
