EDMC panel rejects proposed increase in taxes in budget

New Delhi, Decemebr 30 dmanewsdesk: The standing committee of the BJP-led East Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday rejected a proposal in the EDMC budget, to increase property tax levied on residential and commercial properties, officials said.

The move by the civic body’s panel, the highest decision-making body of the corporation, comes ahead of the civic polls due early next year.

Seeking to augment its revenue, the EDMC Commissioner Vikas Anand while presenting the revised budget estimates for 2021-22 and budget estimates for 2022-23 on November 26, had proposed to increase property tax levied on residential and commercial properties, and drop taxation on use of cycle rickshaws, milch animals and those which pull vehicles.

Also, a professional tax, education cess and betterment tax has been proposed in the budget.

The EDMC panel held a meeting on Wednesday and said, a series of discussion were held sincecthe budget was presented, and the standing committee “rejects all kinds of increase in tax proposed in the budget”, according to a statement issued by the EDMC, quoting the panel’s head.

Residential, commercial and non-residential plots are currently divided into multiple categories in the city, there are no residential properties in A-B category in east Delhi, officials had earlier said.

The EDMC budget had proposed increase in property tax for residential category as follows: C-E category will be 13 per cent; F-H category will be 10 per cent. Presently 11 per cent tax is charged in C-E category, seven per cent in F-H category, a senior official said.

Similar for commercial category, in A-E category it was proposed to be 15 per cent, and 12 per cent in F-H category, the official said. The current rates are 15 per cent tax in A-B category, 12 per cent in C-E category and ten per cent in F-H category, a senior official had said.

Tax levied on submission of building plan had also been increased, as proposed in the budget. It has been increased to Rs 50 per sqm for area up to 50 sqm; and Rs 100 per sqm for area more than 50 sqm. Earlier it was Rs 5 per sqm and Rs 10 sqm respectively, the official had said.

As per the EDMC budget, the revised budget estimates for year 2021-22 stood at Rs 4,479.43 cr, while the budget estimate for the year 2022-23 stood at Rs 4,735.77 cr.

Source: PTI