Congress targets BJP-ruled SDMC over professional, property taxes

The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), saying its decisions to levy professional tax and hike property transfer fee were contrary to the promises made in the 2017 election manifesto.

The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), saying its decisions to levy professional tax and hike property transfer fee were contrary to the promises made in the 2017 election manifesto. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar warned of an agitation if the decisions were not reversed.

The SDMC on Monday approved levying of professional tax on salaried individuals and others, and a hike in property transfer tax. No reaction of the Delhi BJP was immediately available on the issue.

The Delhi Congress president said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call to create an "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-sufficient India), but the BJP was "discouraging" the idea through taxes. Kumar said that for the first time in Delhi, professional tax is being levied, whereas the BJP had promised in its 2017 municipal corporation election manifesto that there would be no new taxes.

Kumar demanded that the BJP government at the Centre and the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi should announce a special financial package for the municipal corporations to help them tide over their financial problems..