The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD asked to find ways for increasing income

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Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007
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New Delhi

MCD asked to find ways for increasing income

Staff Reporter

Commercial use of parks, vacant land suggested

NEW DELHI: Asking the executive wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to explore new ways to increase the income of the civic body, senior Congress Councillor Brij Mohan Sharma on Tuesday suggested commercial use of MCD parks, stores and vacant land.

Budget estimates

Taking part in the discussion on the Budget estimates for 2007-08 at the MCD Standing Committee meeting, Mr. Sharma said while ATMs and food parlours could be opened outside the MCD parks, commercial use of stores located on prime locations could help generate additional revenue. "We have huge stores that could be re-built into commercial complexes," he added.

Mr. Sharma said the MCD also had large chunks of unidentified and vacant land spread across the Capital. "We can construct huge commercial projects on these sites that would not only help traders and businessmen affected from sealing demolition drives to get alternate spaces but also give us good revenue," he suggested.

He also demanded policies on use of municipal markets and rehabilitation markets to generate additional income for the MCD.

"For instance, there are several markets where the MCD is getting paltry sums as monthly rent, while in some markets traders have increased their floor area ratio and expanded their shops without paying any fee to the civic body. All these issues need to be urgently dealt with resulting in more revenue generation for the civic body besides ensuring regularised planning of various market areas," he added.

Premium

He said the two private power distribution companies -- BESE and NDPL -- that occupy around 1.80-lakh sq. m. of municipal land at various places need to pay land premium and annual worth over crores to MCD. "This issue was first raised by then Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Mehta who is now Delhi's Principal Secretary (Power). Mr. Mehta should get this matter resolved and help MCD to earn some revenue."

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