The Hindu : BJP plans dharnas against new property tax regime

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

BJP plans dharnas against new property tax regime

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 14. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party today staged dharnas and demonstrations across the Capital against the proposed new property tax regime under the unit area system to be applicable from April 1. Activists gathered at Sangam Vihar, Khanpur Chowk and Bhajanpura Chowk and held a series of demonstrations.

Addressing party workers, the BJP's Delhi unit chief, Harsh Vardhan, said the new scheme was full of anomalies and discrepancies. He charged that the Congress-ruled Delhi Government as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was "anti-people".

"The new tax regime is anti-people and all claims made by the State Government that the new system is transparent and simple is nothing but all lies. The new system is confusing which could be easily manipulated and distorted to cover up the ground realities," he alleged.

Dr. Vardhan said that in the new system, even the slums and resettlement colonies had been brought under the tax net that would lead to massive financial burden on poor people. "Similarly, the Government has failed to clarify the status of old systems like whether the scheme of one- time payment of house tax was still there or had been abolished. Similarly, the new scheme has no mention about rebates being given to ex-Servicemen, Government-aided schools, urban villages, and people of low income groups."

Alleging that the Congress Government in the Capital was cheating the people and had betrayed them for giving them votes, Dr. Vardhan said the party would start a campaign to build a massive people's movement against repressive and unreasonable tax regime in the Capital. The BJP would not allow the new property tax system to be implemented and would launch a door-to-door campaign asking people not to pay excessive property tax.

"The BJP will continue its protest until the system of property tax in the present form is revised and modified suitably so that no financial burden is passed to the people," Dr. Vardhan declared.

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