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With eye on polls, civic body rejects all tax hikes
Fearing fallout ahead of the MCD polls with the proposal of additional taxes and introduction of new taxes, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday decided to reject all tax hikes including introduction of congestion charges and sanitation tax in the city from April 2012 onwards.
The special meeting on Friday was held following the commissioner KS Mehra's budget proposals on Wednesday in which he proposed hikes in property taxes and also introduction of two new taxes in the form of congestion charges and sanitation taxes. According to members of the Standing Committee, following the budget, people of their colonies have been calling them up in panic.
“The residents of Delhi are already facing inflation and hike in water, electricity and fuel charges. It is not in public interest to impose new taxes, therefore, we are rejecting the proposals,” said Yogender Chandolia, chairman of the Standing Committee. Chandolia added that the MCD must increase its financial stand but it should not be done at the cost of increasing financial burden to the extent that the very livelihood of the common people is threatened. He said that one way of increasing income would be to bring more properties under the tax ambit so that they end up paying taxes.
Delhi BJP President Vijender Gupta, a councilor from Rohini ward along with Leader of House, Subhash Arya, was also present as special invitees. They too rubbished the proposals made by Mehra. “The BJP has ruled the MCD for the last four years and has successfully increased revenue collection from Rs 3000 to Rs 7000 crore without imposing any new taxes. We will continue to do so. It has never been the BJP's policy to burden people of Delhi with imposition of additional taxes,” he said. Vijay Prakash, a member of the Standing Committee said that there are several freehold markets from where MCD could earn. “The MCD should also take stronger action against the illegal parking sites in the city and bring it under them. They will generate additional income,” he said.
Though, Opposition Congress in the MCD did not favour any increase in taxes or introduction of any new taxes but slammed the ruling BJP for convening a special Standing Committee meeting to reject commissioner budget proposal outrightly before holding a detailed discussion in the House. Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Jai Kishan Sharma, termed the move as a political stunt and said, “Rejecting budget proposals in the Standing Committee without having discussions in the House is violation of Delhi Municipal Act and this has never happened in the history of MCD.”
Fearing fallout ahead of the MCD polls with the proposal of additional taxes and introduction of new taxes, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday decided to reject all tax hikes including introduction of congestion charges and sanitation tax in the city from April 2012 onwards.
The special meeting on Friday was held following the commissioner KS Mehra's budget proposals on Wednesday in which he proposed hikes in property taxes and also introduction of two new taxes in the form of congestion charges and sanitation taxes. According to members of the Standing Committee, following the budget, people of their colonies have been calling them up in panic.
“The residents of Delhi are already facing inflation and hike in water, electricity and fuel charges. It is not in public interest to impose new taxes, therefore, we are rejecting the proposals,” said Yogender Chandolia, chairman of the Standing Committee. Chandolia added that the MCD must increase its financial stand but it should not be done at the cost of increasing financial burden to the extent that the very livelihood of the common people is threatened. He said that one way of increasing income would be to bring more properties under the tax ambit so that they end up paying taxes.
Delhi BJP President Vijender Gupta, a councilor from Rohini ward along with Leader of House, Subhash Arya, was also present as special invitees. They too rubbished the proposals made by Mehra. “The BJP has ruled the MCD for the last four years and has successfully increased revenue collection from Rs 3000 to Rs 7000 crore without imposing any new taxes. We will continue to do so. It has never been the BJP's policy to burden people of Delhi with imposition of additional taxes,” he said. Vijay Prakash, a member of the Standing Committee said that there are several freehold markets from where MCD could earn. “The MCD should also take stronger action against the illegal parking sites in the city and bring it under them. They will generate additional income,” he said.
Though, Opposition Congress in the MCD did not favour any increase in taxes or introduction of any new taxes but slammed the ruling BJP for convening a special Standing Committee meeting to reject commissioner budget proposal outrightly before holding a detailed discussion in the House. Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Jai Kishan Sharma, termed the move as a political stunt and said, “Rejecting budget proposals in the Standing Committee without having discussions in the House is violation of Delhi Municipal Act and this has never happened in the history of MCD.”
