The Hindu 16.12.2010
MCD, Delhi Metro at loggerheads
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation are at loggerheads once again with the civic agency
expressing its displeasure over the fact that developers and shop owners
of a mall at Inderlok metro station sealed by it but later de-sealed on
the Lieutenant-Governor’s intervention are neither applying for trade
licence nor paying property tax to the MCD.
The civic body has now decided to approach L-G Tejendra Khanna on the
issue again and send the related file to him, according to MCD Standing
Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia.
The matter was taken up for discussion at the meeting of the MCD
Standing Committee on Wednesday. “In this case, MCD’s property and land
is being used for commercial purpose but no due revenue is being given
to the civic body. To end this impasse we have decided to send the file
to the L-G again asking the shop owners and mall developers to apply for
a trade licence and pay the house tax dues accordingly. I have also
written on this matter to the Municipal Commissioner. Why should we shy
away from acting against such illegalities if big entities are involved
when we are taking strict action in such cases otherwise,” he added.
The civic agency had sealed the mall on June 8 alleging that a
private developer had constructed it without authorisation from the
civic body. At a meeting chaired by the L-G later to clear the standoff
between the MCD and the DMRC on the issue, the L-G had instructed the
civic agency to de-seal the complex.
The L-G’s office had further stated that any establishment inside the
premises of a metro station does not need the MCD sanction but trade
tax and trade licence would be mandatory for such commercial units to
operate.
