SDMC Budget: Property taxes to be hiked

With proposal to hike property tax of all categories in South Delhi area, Commissioner of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Friday presented Budget proposals for the next financial year. The Commissioner, while unfolding his plans, announced major allocation of Budget over sanitation works, installation of high capacity solar plant along with scores of other measures to improve civic services in the area. The Commissioner also announced to initiate measures to make the Corporation cashless from next fiscal.

“The Corporation proposes 2 per cent increase in residential properties under categories A and B, 1 per cent in C, D and E categories. Besides this, proposal to hike 5 per cent in being made for commercial properties of all categories. Rebate for senior citizens, physically handicapped and women is proposed to reduce from 30 per cent to 20 per cent while rebate for timely payment from 15 per cent to 10 per cent. Withdrawal of 10 per cent rebate for DDA/CGHS flats up to 100 sqm is also being proposed from next financial year,” said Commissioner P K Goel in his address, adding that the recommendations of MVC-III has not been implemented hence revision of unit area value is proposed to be increased to 30 per cent on the basis of Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The Commissioner, while tabling the Revised Budget Estimates 2017-2018 to the Standing Committee, also estimated a fiscal deficit of Rs 410 crore. The Commissioner said that introduction of new taxes is necessary as fiscal deficit in getting increased year after year. He also informed that since trifurcation to the current financial year, the SDMC was in a profit of Rs 585 crore in 2012-13, Rs 200 crore in 2013-14, Rs 600 crore in 2014-15, Rs 464 crore in 2015-16 and just Rs 23 crore only in current financial year but in the  next fiscal year it is likely to witness a reverse trend with estimate income and expenditure of Rs 4,104.13 crore and Rs 4,515.93 crore respectively.

Moving towards a cashless system in the Corporation, the Commissioner proposed to create e-passbooks for all taxpayers and maintain online demand and collection register which will contain details of receipts and dues in respect of each of the properties. “I assured that the digitisation of manual records will be completed by the end of current financial year. A box named “Link all your record” has been generated under which all records related to a property is being linked,” said the Commissioner.

Reiterating the Corporation’s stand to provide improve sanitation activities, the Commissioner announced to earmark over one fourth expenditure on sanitation related mechanism including integrated waste management system, setting up waste-to-energy plants, installation of compactors in each ward along with other means necessary to carry out sanitation works in an efficient manner. A 3 MW Solar plant will be set up and solar panels in school buildings and several other Municipal buildings will be installed next year.