Civic body budget woos voters with populist sops

Keeping an eye on the upcoming civic polls, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee chairman Parvesh Wahi on Friday presented a populist budget by proposing several sops for residents and civic employees. Among the sops proposed are exemption of property tax on residential properties of upto 20 square metres, free mobile phone with sim card to sanitation workers and flower parks in each ward.

Mr Wahi said that to strengthen sanitation services all regular safai karamcharis would be provided a mobile phone along with a connection so that they can be contacted easily and directly.

Mr Wahi proposed that every ward would have a ward office that would house all public dealing offices. “Besides there would be a room for an area councillor, so that public grievances can be redressed then and there,” said Mr Wahi.

Announcing relief to people residing in unauthorised colonies, Mr Wahi proposed that residential properties upto 20 square metres would be exempted from property tax as these properties largely belong to people from economically weaker backgrounds.

Talking about increasing the property tax net, Mr Wahi said that with the UPIC system, a survey of 37 wards in the NDMC area have been conducted and two lakh properties that did not pay property tax have been identified. “North DMC would collect property tax from these properties and it is expected to earn `250 crore in the next two financial years,” claimed Mr Wahi.

In a major sop to residents, Mr Wahi proposed that as per the provision of Master Plan 2021, illegal constructions upto February 8, 2007 and upto June 1, 2014 in a rural area would be regularised by taking compounding fees as per the building bye-laws, which will also help the civic body to earn a revenue of `200 crore.

Announcing sops for employees, Mr Wahi said that about 6,000 daily wagers in different departments would be regularised against the vacant positions and life insurance cover would be provided to them ensuring their social security.

“1,500 flats allotted to North DMC’s safai karamcharis under Ambedkar Awas Yojna would be made free-hold. Employees appointed on compassionate grounds on contract in D class would be regularised as many posts in these groups are vacant,” said standing committee chairman.

Talking about civic infrastructure, Mr Wahi proposes installation 2,000 dustbins in institutional areas specially, two toilet blocks for women and one for differently-abled would be developed in every ward.