AAP promises to abolish house tax if it wins MCD

RACE HOTS UP BJP MP bats for antiRomeo squads in Delhi; Shah attacks govt

Residential property tax will be done away with and arrears waived if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gets control of the capital’s civic bodies, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday, raising the stakes for next month’s elections to the three municipal corporations of Delhi.

The MCD elections on April 23 are being seen as a barometer of AAP’s popularity, barely two years after the party won a brute majority in the city-state. The party is also under pressure to put up a good performance in Delhi after its recent drubbing in Punjab and Goa.

Kejriwal’s announcement coincided with the launch of the BJP’s campaign by party president Amit Shah who accused the AAP government of corruption. The BJP controls all three municipal corporations in Delhi.

BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh made a case for ‘anti-Romeo’ squads in Delhi on the lines of special teams in Uttar Pradesh which have faced flak for allegedly resorting to moral policing under the guise of cracking down Property tax or house tax is levied by municipal corporations maintaining civic amenities in our areas. The tax is paid by property owners every year by March 31.

For maintaining civic amenities such as roads, sewage systems, lighting, drains, parks and other facilities.

on people harassing and stalking women.

However, it was Kejriwal’s promise which is likely to resonate with voters, especially the lower and middle class.

Keeping its promises made ahead of the 2015 assembly polls, the AAP government had lowered power tariff and water taxes, benefiting lakhs of Delhi residents.

Former MCD commissioner KS Mehra, however, said it would be difficult for the AAP government to keep its promise.

“It is not possible to waive off On the basis of the annual value of property, which is calculated by multiplying six factors, including area, occupancy factor and age Civic agencies will impose interest of 1% of the amount outstanding, every month. They can also seal or auction the property in extreme cases.

property tax from residential properties unless an amendment is made to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, which can be done only by Parliament,” Mehra said.

Residents pay property taxes in the range of ₹2,000 to ₹1 lakh annually, contributing a major chunk of the three municipal corporations’ revenue. In 201617, MCD earned ₹1,300 crore from property tax out of its total revenue of ₹8,354 crore.

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