Delhi traders meet CM,discuss old commercial tenants' problems

A delegation of traders today met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and took up the issues of eviction of old commercial tenants by landlords and collection of property tax as part of rent.
The delegation, comprising members of New Delhi Traders Association and Delhi Rajya Vyapar Sangathan, submitted a memorandum to Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat.
According to the traders, old commercial tenants, who paid 'Pugree', are facing eviction and this is forcing them to shut their establishments.
The delegation also demanded clarification about a section in the NDMC Act, 1994 that a landlord can recover property tax from his tenant as if such sum were rent payable to him.

The traders said this ambiguity was being used by the landlords to claim property tax as a part of rent. This is preventing occupants from paying taxes as they fear that payment of property tax by them may be construed as a part of rent.
The New Delhi Traders Association also demanded uniform property tax calculation across Delhi. "Traders in NDMC area pay property tax five times more than property owners in municipal corporations' areas. We appealed to the government to follow similar principles of tax calculation," Atul Bhargav of New Delhi Traders Association said.
The Chief Minister assured the traders to look into the matters raised by them and do whatever possible.