New Delhi   

Doctors oppose annual mixed land use charges

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: Doctors in the Capital are up in arms against "annual mixed land use charges" being imposed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi according to which nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres and laboratories will now have to pay an additional tax on running commercial establishments in residential areas.

This annual tax, to be paid by June 30, is according to the doctors undue and unjust. In addition to this tax, the medical establishment need to pay a one-time parking charge. The order will affect several thousand small and medium medical establishments that cater to a large section of the city's population.

"We have had an executive committee meeting with our members and we have decided to take this matter up seriously with the Government. The nursing homes' owners are already paying commercial rates for house tax, electricity and water. Where is the justification for levying the annual mixed land use charge? We are being taxed twice for the same property. We are already paying house tax for running commercial venture in residential areas and now this additional expense will force us to close down our establishments, which will result in huge inconvenience for the general public,'' said Harish Gupta, finance secretary of the Delhi Medical Association.

Stating that the proposal for these new taxes was opposed when first suggested by the civic body, DMA president Ramesh Datta said: "There was a lot of hue and cry when these taxes were first proposed. We feel the recommended taxes are very high and despite several assurances there has not been any reduction in the proposed charges and amount being demanded. The charges are beyond the reach of small and medium scale medical establishments and we will oppose this latest move. The parking charges that have been proposed in this notification are on the higher side.''

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Children's trek ends with planting of saplings
RWAs oppose Metro link above ground
Ramjas College going global
Apex court moved on regularisation
Doctors oppose annual mixed land use charges
Employees' strike hits work in many hospitals
Doctor held on dowry charge
A journey on canvas, from Italy to India
An opportunity for tech-savvy kids
Gopal Ansal allowed to travel abroad
Power demand goes up to a new high
"Regularise temporary passport staff"
Make power companies pay relief: Vardhan
Tough call
Nights at Delhi airport to get comfortable
Apex court refuses to hear plea against Dera chief
Around the City

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu