Mayors say action soon on property tax 'outstanding' from Delhi govt; AAP dispensation hits back

The DJB vice-chairman has asked for payment of "water bill of about Rs 6,600 crores outstanding on the central government and all the three corporations of Delhi, out of which about Rs 2,466 crores is shown to be pending from NDMC," the North Delhi mayor said. The Aam Aadmi Party had promised water bill waiver to citizens before the Delhi elections, but it imposed super commercial rates on water bills of 700 schools, six hospitals, 17 polyclinics and offices of the corporation, Prakash claimed.

Property tax worth crores of rupees is "due" from the Delhi government, mayors of the three BJP-led corporations claimed at a joint press conference on Wednesday, asserting that the civic authorities will "take action" on it soon. The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, however, said that the mayors had united to give out "completely fake figures to the media".

North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash, South Delhi mayor Anamika and East Delhi mayor Nirmal Jain spoke to reporters here a day after Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Vice-Chairman Raghav Chadha alleged that a large amount was due from the corporations in water bills. "All the three municipal corporations of Delhi will soon take action on outstanding property tax from various properties of Delhi government which include schools, hospitals, offices, plants," the mayors said in a joint press statement.

Prakash alleged that the properties of the Public Works Department, Delhi Secretariat, Delhi Transco Limited and Delhi Jal Board have "never given property tax" to the corporation, and action will be taken to recover the dues. The DJB vice-chairman has asked for payment of "water bill of about Rs 6,600 crores outstanding on the central government and all the three corporations of Delhi, out of which about Rs 2,466 crores is shown to be pending from NDMC," the North Delhi mayor said.

The Aam Aadmi Party had promised water bill waiver to citizens before the Delhi elections, but it imposed super commercial rates on water bills of 700 schools, six hospitals, 17 polyclinics and offices of the corporation, Prakash claimed. "The corporation provides free education, free health facilities to poor citizens. The Delhi government wants to spread chaos in Delhi," he added.

Anamika said the SDMC had sought time to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal many times, but all in vain. "There are four zones under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and in each zone, property tax worth about Rs 2,500 crore is pending on the properties of the Delhi government, i.e. a total of Rs 10,000 crore. Delhi government, out of party politics, is not releasing funds to the municipal corporations so that they can take advantage of this in the next corporation elections," she claimed.

The Delhi government, in its response, issued a statement hitting out at the mayors. "They have made a joke of their offices," it said. "The SDMC said Delhi government owes it Rs 10,000 crore from the few properties under the government. Their total property tax collection last year was Rs 940 crore from around 12 lakh properties," the government claimed.

"People of Delhi will not be fooled. If BJP cannot run the MCD, it should resign immediately. AAP will run it within the same budget. But BJP should stop crying like a child daily. Ever since BJP has been running the MCD, people have got only corruption and daily excuses from the BJP," it added. Prakash further alleged that the "Delhi Jal Board has not paid property tax worth Rs 216 crore and Rs 293 crore for road cutting to NDMC. Besides this, the Delhi government has not given the due fund of Rs 955.84 crore for the first and second quarter to NDMC".

He claimed that as per the recommendations of the Delhi Finance Commission, Rs 968.91 crore is pending, which means a total of Rs 1,924.81 crore has not been released to the NDMC. East Delhi mayor Jain alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party is "working to abolish constitutional institutions in Delhi", a reference to the three civic bodies.

He claimed that in a letter to the chief minister of Delhi, he has "requested for payment of Rs 175.52 crore to East Delhi Municipal Corporation due on Delhi Jal Board and that DJB can recover its due of Rs 49 crores out of that fund". He also alleged that the Delhi government has "not yet released Rs 1,050 crore owed to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, as a result of which all development works have been stalled, and the corporation is unable to pay salaries to its employees on time".

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)