On Friday, The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) in its budget, proposed to increase property tax on residential and commercial properties and suggested dropping taxation on cycle rickshaws, milch animals and those which pull vehicles.
EDMC Commissioner Vikas Anand presented the revised budget estimates for the financial year 2021-22 and budget estimates for 2022-23 fiscal at the corporation headquarters in Patparganj.
The decision to not levy taxes on owners of milch animals like cows, buffaloes, and those which pull vehicles like horses, has been taken as, "it is not appropriate with changing times," a senior official said. These taxes were imposed during the British rule, he said.
Also, a professional tax, education cess and betterment tax have been proposed in the budget, the official said. Residential, commercial and non-residential plots are currently divided into multiple categories in the city, there are no residential properties in the A-B category, officials said.
The EDMC budget has proposed an increase in property tax for the residential category with 13 per cent for the C-E category and 10 per cent for the F-H category. Currently, 11 per cent tax is charged on the C-E category, seven per cent on the F-H category, a senior official said.
Similarly, for the commercial category taxation on the A-E category is proposed to be 15 per cent, and 12 per cent on the F-H category, the official said. The current rates are 15 per cent tax on the A-B category, 12 per cent on the C-E category and 10 per cent in the F-H category.
Tax levied on submission of building plan has also been proposed for a hike. It will be increased to Rs 50 per square metre for an area up to 50 square metres; and Rs 100 per square metre for an area more than 50 square metres. Earlier it was Rs 5 per square metre and Rs 10 square metre respectively, the official said.
According to the EDMC budget, the revised budget estimates for the financial year 2021-22 stands at Rs 4,479.43 crore, while the budget estimate for the year 2022-23 stands at Rs 4,735.77 crore. Also, a public-private partnership cell has been set up to start remunerative projects to increase the revenue of the corporation and provide better civic facilities to citizens, the budget stated.
Electric vehicle charging stations will be set up in EDMC parking sites. More parking facilities in the EDMC areas under public-private partnership mode are planned, officials said. The EDMC will lease out its newly-constructed building of Shahdara (South) zonal office at Karkardooma. It is estimated to generate an annual income of about Rs 18 crore.
-With PTI Inputs
