House tax move angers illegal colony residents

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JULY 26.

The controversy regarding the decision of the BJP-ruled MCD to impose House Tax on more than 30 lakh people living in the unauthorised colonies has angered the residents and their representatives who are up in arms against this ``ill-conceived'' decision.

The Nasirpur Congress(I) MLA, Mr. Mahabal Mishra, whose constituency has a large concentration of unauthorised colonies, shot off a letter to the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit today seeking her intervention. Terming the decision of the BJP dominated MCD as ``anti people and anti-poor'', Mr. Mishra, in his letter said: ``A serious matter regarding lakhs of people living in unauthorised colonies across the Capital has been thrown up by the sudden proposal of the Corporation to impose House Tax on their residents. This has once again exposed the double face of the BJP which has during the last few months put the people of Delhi to great harassment and has uprooted many poor in the name of industry and pollution.''

Mr. Mishra said people living in hundreds of unauthorised colonies are an agitated lot. The MCD has not been providing basic civic facilities and now its decision to impose House Tax was just not acceptable. ``We strongly oppose the decision and take up this matter at the highest level as the Congress(I) has always worked for the poor especially those living in the unauthorised colonies,'' he added. Development works in these colonies should be resumed immediately, he said. ``I am sure no law or policy can justify the non-availability of civic amenities to lakhs of people on any ground.''

The letter to Ms. Dikshit pointed out that the harsh conditions and penalty imposed by the Union Urban Development Minister, Mr. Jagmohan, for regularisation of the unauthorised colonies were not acceptable to the 30 lakh residents. He urged the Chief Minister to treat as private land all those colonies which are covered by Section 81A and are in the vested Gram Sabha land category. In fact, some other MLAs also supported the stand taken by Mr. Mishra and said Ms. Dikshit should at once take note of this and take appropriate action to provide relief to lakhs of people.

Meanwhile, the former Outer Delhi MP, Mr. Sajjan Kumar and Hastal MLA, Mr. Mukesh Sharma, also condemned the move of the BJP-led Corporation. A mahapanchayat of representatives of these colonies would be convened under the leadership of the DPCC(I) president, Mr. Subhash Chopra, on August 5 to discuss the issue.

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