Why different house tax rules for people: AAP

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 29

Cornered by the Opposition parties on the issue of abolition of residential house tax, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is aggressively defending its stand on the issue and in the latest it reminded the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) of a similar waiver in residential house tax to Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vijay Goel granted by its north civic body in August last year.

Claiming that house tax collection has turned into a “racket” run by the sitting party councillors, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia argued if a BJP Mayor of North MCD can waive off the house tax of a haveli owned by Union Minister Vijay Goel, then why cannot same be offered to people of the city.

Sisodia was referring to North MCD’s decision to waive off house tax of Dharampura Haveli (located in Chandni Chowk) owned by Goel, causing a loss of about Rs 25 crore to exchequer. The AAP had last year approached the ACB too seeking action in the matter.

Pointing out that the waiver was given under Rule 177 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act (1957), which allows the municipal bodies to waive off any tax that the MCDs decide, Sisodia asserted, “If this rule can be used to provide direct benefit to union ministers of the BJP, then why can this rule not be applied to provide benefit to common people? This hypocrisy of the BJP is against the interests of the people.”