BJP's municipal leadership oppose move to hike property tax

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 instalment of the global share which is released on March 31 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.

"It is highly violative of the norms and rules....They may be appointed by Delhi government but they are responsible to the Corporations," he said.