EDMC budget aimed at polls

Exemption from property tax for small properties, reduction in conversion charges and other sops will be featured in the cash-strapped East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (EDMC) budget for the upcoming financial year.

With civic polls slated for April, the EDMC is in the process of finalising its budget for 2017-18. On Monday, the chairperson of the Standing Committee of the EDMC, Jitender Chaudhary, presented his budget to the House.

‘Best services’

“Since the Delhi government has refused to cooperate, we have been facing a financial crisis. The government owes us thousands of crores of rupees. Despite this, the EDMC has tried to provide the best possible civic services,” said Mr. Chaudhary.

The speech comprised of many old promises that were repeated, as well as some sops that could be seen as crowd-pleasers in the election campaign.

For instance, Mr. Chaudhary proposed waiving off property tax for residential properties that are up to 41.81 square metres in area. While this may sound like a big relief, most of these small houses don’t pay property tax anyway as many of them are in illegal colonies.

Another proposal is to reduce the conversion charges paid by commercial properties from ₹192 per square metre to ₹per square metre and to decrease the penalty from 10 times to three times.

However, since the conversion charges are a requirement under the Masterplan of Delhi-2021, the EDMC may have to get the proposal cleared by the Urban Development Ministry.

Mr. Chaudhary also proposed making the process of property mutation online from next year.

The budget also reiterated many old promises, from installing CCTV cameras in schools to setting up teaching centres for parents of EDMC school students. The budget will be finalised and passed by the House later this month.