Won`t support hike in house tax, parking rates: Delhi BJP

Delhi BJP said it won`t support hike in house tax and parking rates in three municipalities ruled by it, and also announced slew of steps to make the civic bodies more people friendly and transparent.

New Delhi: With the possibility of re-election looming large, Delhi BJP on Friday said it won`t support hike in house tax and parking rates in three municipalities ruled by it, and also announced slew of steps to make the civic bodies more people friendly and transparent. Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel, after a meeting with the party`s councillors, announced that the three municipal corporations ruled by the BJP in Delhi will not hike any parking rates and house tax rates.

"As the common man is already burdened with inflation, we have decided that we would oppose any hike in property tax, parking charges and others taxes, also we would " Goel told reporters. In their recently presented budgets for 2014-15, the Commissioners of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporations (EDMC) had proposed hike in property tax and parking charges and decided to impose other taxes. Goel also alleged that municipal corporations were given "step-motherly treatment" by the Delhi government and were not allowed to function and carry out their work properly. He said any attempt to scuttle the functioning of MCDs would not be tolerated. "Funds were not released in time. Attempts are still going on to thrust certain officials as Commissioners of the MCDs. We would be taking up this issue with the Lieutenant Governor again as we have done in the past. "They have given all the roads to PWD, just to malign the image of MCD but they haven`t repaired or relaid any road, apart from those having width of 60 feet," he said He demanded that like MPs and MLAs, a councillor should be allowed to utilise their development fund in the unauthorised colonies which have been regularised recently. "If needed we would approach the court on this issue, as a councillor, like an MP or an MLA, was also accountable to his voters," Goel said. He stressed that all the councillor have been asked to focus on sanitation of their area, condition of street lights and parks on priority basis. Apart from it, in a bid to provide clean and people- friendly administration in the MCDs, he said "efforts would be made to make the MCDs a more and more people friendly and transparent." Addressing a press conference along with senior MCD leaders, Goel said, "a new rationalised policy for farmhouses converted into motels, hotels and banquet halls was on anvil. This would be displayed online so there is no ambiguity." In an attempt to provide a clean and people-friendly administration, Goel said we would ensure that the MCDs provide clean and people-friendly administration The MCD plans to put booking and payment of community halls and 64 others items online. "All payments to contractors, salaries to MCD employees and others would now be disbursed through Electronic Clearance Scheme(ECS). Property tax on heritage sites would be waived. There will be rebate on property tax for aided schools," Goel said. To ensure that councillor fund can be spent on unauthorised colonies, a delegation of BJP leaders would meet the LG of Delhi and other authorities concerned in Delhi government. "All levies and taxes were being rationalised and displayed online. Many of them can be paid online, it was being ensured that Delhiites should have the option of paying all their charges to MCD online while sitting at home," he said.