JOIN USCouncillors shoot down property tax hike proposal
Minutes after the commissioner of South Corporation presented the proposed Budget 2015-16 in a Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday, the elected Bharatiya Janata Party councillors shot down the budgetary proposals of 45 per cent hike in property tax and introduction of a new tax.
After the proposed Budget for the next financial year is introduced in a special meeting of the Standing Committee of a corporation, the budgetary allocations are put to vote in its respective House meeting.
The proposed hike in property tax and introduction of new tax may not see the light of day as the BJP has near about majority in the south civic agency.
“We strongly oppose any increase in property tax in Budget 2015-16 and introduction of any new taxes,” said Subhash Arya, Chairman of the Standing Committee.
Even the opposition took a dig at the BJP and termed the proposed Budget 2015-16 as “too ambitious to be true”.
“The Budget 2015-16 is full of false promises. The commissioner is proposing many development works but he is not giving a timeline for the completion of these projects,” said Leader of Opposition Farhad Suri.
Commissioner of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation Manish Gupta presented the budgetary proposals in the meeting.
According to the Budget 2015-16, the property has increased to 45 per cent and for the commercial property the rates have been revised from 12 per cent commercial tax to 20 per cent. But there is no changes in house tax rates.
The south civic agency is in the process to finalise an agency which will be given the task of providing unique identity numbers to every building under its jurisdiction.
“In Dwarka and Tilak Nagar a new house tax department will be opened shortly,” said Gupta.
Officials also proposed that from next financial year a new professional tax will be imposed.
“An estimated amount of Rs 20 crore will be collected from this tax which will be utilised to provide proper basic facilities to public,” said the Budget document.