The Hindu : Green signal to unit area method

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Green signal to unit area method

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 8. Without any discussion, the General House of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi today approved the much talked about Unit Area Method for assessment of house tax in the Capital from this coming April 1.

In protest, Councillors of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party led by the Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Subhash Arya, jumped into the well of the House. The meeting was adjourned for the day. "This is undemocratic. Such an important decision has been taken without any discussion on the issue," Mr. Arya said.

Later, addressing a press conference, the Leader of Opposition in the MCD Standing Committee, Vijender Kumar Gupta, alleged that the earlier decision to give 30 per cent rebate in property tax to women, senior citizens and physically challenged has now been reduced to 15 per cent. "Also the 15 per cent rebate for timely payment of house tax has been brought down to 10 per cent," he claimed.

"The Congress-ruled MCD is misguiding property owners. The new system would result in a heavy burden on the people of the Capital," he alleged. Terming the Unit Area Method as anti-people, he claimed while the house tax of rich people had come down, those of the masses would jump manifold. "A list of 37 farmhouses made available by the civic body indicates their house tax has come down by Rs. 3 lakhs on an average," alleged Mr. Arya.

Referring to the various provisions of the Unit Area Method, he said for the first time the people of rural areas and unauthorised colonies are being brought under the house tax net. "Inspector-raj, would be replaced by the architect-raj," he said.

Refuting the charges, the Standing Committee Chairman, Mukesh Goel, observed that the BJP was trying to make it a political issue, alleging that the Opposition had panicked due to the passage of the Unit Area Method by the House. "This is a people friendly system. At least 95 per cent of the total property owners of the Capital would benefit. Be it rural areas, urban villages, unauthorised colonies, all would benefit by it," he said.

The Appointments Committee Chairman, Braj Mohan Sharma, said the soon to be set up Hardship Committee would look into all the anomalies and difficulties to be faced by property owners due to the implementation of the Unit Area. "Even if there is any anomaly in rebates offered to the various categories of property owners, it would be looked into by this committee," Mr. Sharma said.

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