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Delhi

BJP opposes move to hike property tax

Ruling BJP in the three Delhi municipal corporations on Thursday raised their objection to the announcements made by commissioners on increasing property tax and parking charges.

The BJP leadership in the civic bodies voiced their resentment during a meeting they had with Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna. They claimed that Khanna counselled the municipal commissioners to remain cautious about such things.

At a joint press conference yesterday, the commissioners of South, North and East Delhi Corporations had said they would propose increase in property tax and parking charges and place it in respective Standing Committees.

Raising the issue during the meeting with Khanna, Leader of House in South Delhi Municipal Corporation Subhash Arya said the commissioners should not go to media unless or until the proposal takes a concrete shape. He said that as far as imposition of new tax or increase in tax rate is concerned, it is the prerogative of the Corporation.

The meeting was attended by Mayors Meera Aggarwal (North), Annapurna Mishra (East) and Savita Gupta (South), Deputy Mayors of Azad Singh (North) and Usha Shastri (East), Leaders of House Arya, Mahinder Nagpal (North) and B B Tyagi (East) among others.

The leaders also suggested that a meeting be convened every month under the Chairmanship of the Lt Governor, with representatives of Urban Development Ministry, Director (Local Bodies), all the Mayors and municipal commissioners as its members to chalk out the issues tangled in multiplicity of authorities and adamancy of the government.

They also said that the last installment of the global share which is released on 31 March should be released in the month of January so that the funds could be utilised properly.

V K Malhotra, Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, also found fault with the commissioners’ announcements.


SAVE ON PARKING, TRAVEL BY BUS: CM

While the city is debating heatedly the parking rates’ hike, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday asked the city dwellers to travel in bus, if they found it hard to deal with the parking woes. Sheila’s comment comes a day after the commissioners of the newly created municipal bodies in Delhi proposed to hike the parking charges by three fold, sending alarm bells ringing for city’s commuters.

According to the commissioners, the hike would be a good move to prevent the misuse of Delhi’s premium space that was otherwise exploited for parking.

According to government sources, revenue generation and discouraging commuters from using private vehicles were the main idea behind the hike.
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