Date:08/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/08/stories/2008050853740400.htm

New Delhi

“BJP misinformed people about MCD budget proposals”

Staff Reporter

House tax rates hiked, rebate withdrawn, alleges Congress

“No application form to file returns of property tax”
“Wrong announcement of tax recovery”

NEW DELHI: Leader of the Opposition J. K. Sharma has alleged that senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had misinformed the public in their budgetary speeches earlier this year.

In a statement, Mr. Sharma said: “Under Section 109 of the DMC Act (Amended) no change can be made in the schedule of taxes after March 31. This change cannot even be effected by anticipatory approval or any other order. But the BJP leaders have increased the rates of house tax from 50 per cent to 100 per cent despite assuring in their budget proposals that no new taxes would be imposed on residents in 2008-09.”

Giving details, Mr. Sharma along with other members of the Congress said 30 per cent rebate was being granted to senior citizens above 60 years of age, physically challenged and women.

“But this rebate has been withdrawn without any prior intimation. No approval of the civic body was sought before withdrawing this tax rebate.

The forms for filing returns of property tax that should have been made available to property tax payers from April 1 were given for printing only on April 25. Even the online service for depositing property tax has been non-functional,” said Mr. Sharma.

The Congress leaders also alleged that the BJP had “wrongly announced” that Rs.1,005 crore had been recovered as property tax this year. “The actual position is that, Rs.500 crore out of this recovery was given by the Delhi Government to the MCD as its share of transfer duty and Rs.30 crore was recovered as transfer duty by zonal offices while only the remaining Rs.470 crore was recovered as property tax,” added Mr. Sharma.