Property tax increase, redevelopment of Meherchand Market proposed in SDMC Budget

An increase in property tax, levying professional tax, redeveloping an old mart and pedestrianisation of streets in market areas lacking parking facilities were proposed by the BJP-led South Delhi Municipal Corporation in its budget on Tuesday.

South Delhi Municipal Commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel said this while presenting the SDMC's revised budget estimates for 2018-19 and budget estimates for 2019-20 at the Civic Centre here.

"We plan to increase the earnings of the corporation through various avenues, and one of them is hiking of property tax, which we have proposed in the budget. There is also a provision to levy a professional tax for the year 2019-20, from which an income of Rs 30 crore is expected for that year," Goel said.

The revised budget estimate for the current financial year stands at Rs 5,244.14 crore, while the budget estimate for the next fiscal has been proposed to be Rs 5437.97 crore.

In the Budget 2019-20, it has been proposed to levy property tax on residential properties according to various category of colonies.

The proposed rates for residential properties falling under categories A and B is proposed to be at 14 per cent, instead of 12 per cent; for categories C, D and E, it would be 12 per cent instead of 11 per cent; and eight per cent instead of seven in F, G and H category colonies.

It is also proposed to charge property tax at the rate of 15 per cent of annual property value for special commercial non-residential properties and other non-residential properties.

Sources said, the hike in property tax and levying of new tax are likely to be rejected by the BJP-led SDMC House during its proceedings, especially with elections due in a few months.

Later, interacting with reporters, Goel said, "We will do whatever we can from our side, to augment the income of the corporation." He added that about 6.44-lakh properties were surveyed through a door-to-door survey from September 2017-May 2018.

The exercise resulted in the identification of 1.83-lakh properties, which were out of property tax net, Goel said, adding that the idea was to bring them into the tax net.

Among other proposals, the commissioner also proposed to provide one-time rebate on payment of property tax at a rate of 10 per cent instead of 15 per cent. The budget has also proposed a one per cent education cess.

Other proposals include redevelopment of the Meherchand Market, an upscale commercial zone in Lodhi Colony, and pedestrianisation of streets in market areas which lack parking facilities.

"The redevelopment plan of the Meherchand Market has been sent to the technical committee of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)," Goel said.

The focus in the budget this year is on education and public health, besides completing projects proposed earlier, including 20 new automated multi-level parking at different places, the commissioner said.

The commissioner added that 26 sentinel hospitals had been identified for monitoring vector-born diseases like dengue and chikungunya.

The SDMC later in a statement said the new LED lights installed in the last two years, compared to the traditional fixtures have helped mitigate the amount of CO2 emitted in he air.

"So far 1,43,000 tonne of carbon dioxide has been mitigated and Rs 192 crore saved," the civic body claimed.

From rooftop solar projects, 54,75,000 units if electricity has been produced so far and the quantum is expected to jump to 1,34,61,200 units with use of 208 buildings of the SDMC, it said.

Also, from procurement of e-vehicles, the cost incurred per km has reduced from Rs 5 to Rs 0.63, the SDMC said.

On the equipping of radio frequency identification device (RFID) system at toll plaza at 13 border points in the city, a senior official said, for some time both RFID and manual system would be used.

"About, 10,000 cards have been issued to people who have pre-registered," he said.

The SDMC has requested owners of all commercial vehicles to pre-register their vehicles for entry into Delhi, a step taken to check air pollution.

(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)