City govt offers more sops

On a day when the opposition charged her of distributing freebies and making announcement of several development just ahead of the Assembly polls, the Sheila Dikshit government on Tuesday decided to grant substantial relief in ‘sewer development charges’ to residents of unauthorised colonies, hike allowances of 10,000 group C and D employees working in government hospitals and dispensaries.

The city government also decided to give compensation to farmers living on the banks of Yamuna for loss of crops in the recent floods.

After the decision of the city government, property owners having a plot of 100 square yards in unauthorised colonies under categories D to H will get relief of Rs 36,000.

“To encourage residents of unauthorised colonies to apply for sewer connection, ensure cleanliness and provide healthy ambience, the government has decided to grant substantial relief in sewer development charges them. The new charges will be on the basis of plot size instead of existing per square metre system,” said Dikshit.  

Officials said now the Delhi Jal Board will charge at the rate of Rs 494 per square metre of the plot area while granting sewer connections in unauthorised colonies.

Officials said while DJB has not been facing any difficulty in recovering development charges as per the actual from unauthorised colonies under categories A to C, it was becoming difficult to recover development charges at the existing rates in respect of colonies under D to H categories. 

“So the cabinet decided to levy flat charges in respect of illegal colonies under categories D to H. Plot owners up to 100 square yards will be charged Rs 5,000 for sewer connection, instead of Rs 41,000 as per existing per square metre rate,” said an official.

The cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal of the health department to effect hike in Hospital Patient Care Allowance (HPCA) and Patient Care Allowance (PCA) to 9,665 Group C & D employees working in hospitals, medical institutions and dispensaries of the Delhi government with prospective date.  “The department will automatically raise the allowance by 25 per cent every time dearness allowance goes up by 50 per cent. The employees will henceforth strictly adhere to the date and rate decided for HPCA/PCA by the government of India,” said an official.  

Taking note of damage to crops of farmers near Yamuna, the cabinet decided to grant compensation to 435 affected farmers at the rate of Rs 5,000 per farmer.