SDMC announces waiver of previous years’ property tax in newly regularized unauthorized colonies

With everyone’s eyes on the upcoming municipal polls later this year, the standing committee of the BJP-led SDMC, in its budget proposals on Tuesday did not impose any new tax and also announced a waiver of the property tax of previous years for the residents of the recently-regularized unauthorized colonies within its jurisdiction, according to an official statement.

The Standing Committee Chairman of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) BK Oberoi also rejected a proposal in the civic body’s budget for 2022-23 to increase taxes on residential and commercial properties, the statement said.

Oberoi also announced that eight new health centres will be set up within the SDMC’s jurisdiction.

All the three civic bodies of Delhi — North, South and East — are scheduled to go to polls before May.

The statement said Oberoi announced a waiver of the property tax of previous years for the residents of the recently-regularized unauthorized colonies.

Oberoi was quoted as saying in the statement, “As per the amnesty scheme, property tax of residential property for previous years will be waived if a taxpayer deposits property tax of financial year 2021-22. Property tax of non-residential property for previous years will be waived if a taxpayer deposits property tax of last three financial years i.e. 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.”

The standing committee chairman also approved a proposal to open eight new health centres.

He said a computerized OPD registration facility will be started at all the health centres of the civic body.

According to civic officials, the SDMC’s revised budget estimates for 2021-22 stood at Rs 4,668.26 crore, while the budget estimates for 2022-23 stood at Rs 4,826.43 crore.

Oberoi also announced the setting up of a resource centre in each SDMC zone for Children with Special Needs (CWSN).

“Standing Committee Chairman announced a hike in the Boys’ Fund from Rs 40 per year to Rs 100 per year,” the statement said.

Civic officials said under the Boys’ Fund, an amount is given to the school principals for small-scale expenditures for the students’ benefits.

Oberoi said the SDMC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Solar Energy Corporation to install 10-kilowatt solar rooftop plants at its buildings.

He informed the committee members that the SDMC, under the UDF Fund, has set up 20 sewage treatment plants (STPs), each with a capacity of 50 kiloliters per day, at 16 locations.

“SDMC has signed a MoU to set up a CBG plant having capacity to dispose of 100 TPD wet garbage at Hastsal. To ensure garbage management, waste segregation is being done at 16 model wards. One small mechanical sweeping-cum-jetting machine will be made available in each zone,” Oberoi was quoted as saying in the statement.

In the revised budget presentation, he said an engineered landfill site is being set up at Tehkhand, near Okhla. A waste-to-energy plant is also being set up on a 15-acre land at this site.