NEW DELHI, January 22: Chairman of the MCD standing committee Shanti Desai has asked the municipal commissioner V.K. Duggal to keep the issue of filing property tax returns in abeyance till the elections are over.Duggal's order making the filing of property tax returns mandatory for most of the city's tenants and landlords for the year ending December 31, 1997 has created quite a furore among residents, particularly tenants who look at it as an unnecessary burden.
"I have written to the commissioner to first enlighten us on the proposal," Desai today said, adding that the house was not even consulted before such an important decision was taken.
Owners of vacant land or built up area, including flat owners, who have more than 100 square metre of residential land or those with 50 square metre or more of non-residential land have to file their returns.
Those who default on this score will be fined by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). However, many taxation experts feel that the scheme leaves
much to be desired.
The standing committee meeting held today, however, failed to take up the issue. Instead, the leader of the opposition Narender Nath raised the issue of mass transfer of junior engineers.
"An engineer-in-chief was given the power to transfer junior engineers and between January 6 to 19 he transferred 45 JEs," Nath said, adding that this reflected malafide intentions on part of the officer.
The commissioner assured the house that within 24 hours a report would be submitted on why these transfers took place. The 18 members of the standing committee would then be apprised of the situation.
The quality of the grams being supplied to primary schools was found to be sub-standard as a result of which the contractor was black-listed and his supply stopped. The sample presented during the time of the tender did not match the supply.
"We also raised the issue of why an executive engineer had been posted at the residence of the chief minister to listen to the complaints of VIPs regarding
MCD problems," Nath pointed out.
Besides, Duggal warned that the members needed to soften the language and usage of words while speaking about officers. He said that he would stage a walk-out in the next house if proper decorum was not maintained.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
