'BJP councillors trying to be heroes now, will increase taxes later'

BJP councillors are trying to be “heroes” by opposing the new taxes introduced in the proposed Budget 2015-16 for North Corporation on Wednesday.

Once the Delhi Assembly elections are over, these very BJP councillors will impose the proposed 50 per cent hike in property tax and three per cent increase in house tax, including new taxes, in the next financial year, said Congress legislators.

The BJP-ruled corporation projects officials as “villains”, said Leader of Opposition Mukesh Goel. “This is what they did last year. They had opposed all new taxes in the proposed Budget 2013-14 but later they increased the house tax and imposed new taxes,” added Goel.

“We oppose all the proposed taxes for Budget 2015-16,” said Goel soon after the commissioner of north civic agency presented the proposed Budget 2015-16 in a special meeting of the standing committee of North Delhi Municipal Corporation. He added that the budget “would burn a hole in the pocket of the citizens”.

He also condemned the proposals of charges on organising functions in farmhouses and motels.
“If these proposals are accepted, the opposition Congress party councillors will take to the streets,” he added.
Officials of the north civic agency has proposed 50 per cent hike in base unit area value of different locations which will ultimately increase the property tax.

The north civic agency has categorised areas into category A, B, C, D so on and so forth. Currently, colonies under category A area are charged Rs 630 which will be increased to Rs 945. The Budget 2015-16 also has a proposal of new taxes: betterment and professional taxes.

“The city is seeing development at a regular basis. So the civic agency has decided to introduce betterment tax under section 150 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957,” said the Budget proposal. “The corporation will generate Rs 5 crore from this category,” said P K Gupta, Commissioner of North Corporation.
There is also a proposal for increasing one-time parking charge which is payable during the purchase of a vehicle.
According to the proposed rates, a vehicle which costs Rs 6 lakh will be charged Rs 6,000 as the one-time parking charge as against Rs 4,000.
“This will help people to use public transport instead of private vehicles,” Gupta added.
The proposed Budget 2015-16 also saw congestion charges and sanitation tax. “Congestion charges will be collected from the vehicles being parked at the premium surface parking. It will be started in Sadar Pahar Ganj and Karol Bagh areas,” Gupta said.
“One has to pay Rs 150 per day for a four-wheeler and an autorickshaw and tempo will be charged Rs 100,” said the Budget proposal.  “The civic agency has also proposed to charge people for door-to-door collection of garbage,” Gupta said.