Trader bodies from various markets in north Delhi on Friday met the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) Special Officer Ashwani Kumar, demanding a rollback on the recent hike in health trade licence fees by the civic body.
The delegation of trader bodies includes representatives from the Kamla Nagar Traders Association, Jawahar Nagar Kamla Nagar Market Association and Kolhapur Traders Association, among others.
On the same day, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor requested Mr. Kumar to extend the date of receiving rebates on property tax payments till August 15, on the occasion of the upcoming Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
Nitin Gupta, president of the Kamla Nagar Traders Association, said the issues discussed in the 40-minute-long meeting included problems faced by traders in accessing online services provided by the MCD, apart from the discussion over the recent hike in fee rates.
“We discussed issues faced in online services such as payments of house tax and licence fee, which we are unable to complete due to a portal error. Apart from this, we raised the problem faced in the form of illegal encroachments and stray animals and cows at our markets. The special officer assured us that he will look into these matters,” Mr. Gupta said.
According to the new rates, the annual licence fee for banquet halls with a capacity of up to 250 seats has been fixed at ₹15,000, which is at par with the rates under the erstwhile South Delhi Municipal Corporation.
However, under the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the annual fee for the same stood at ₹1000.
Meanwhile, a meeting involving 200 traders from across the city was held by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) to oppose the hike in fee rates.
Property tax rebate
“The country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Therefore, the MCD should come forward to give people an opportunity to get free of property tax liability and raise its revenue too,” Mr. Kapoor said.
Previously, the MCD had extended the last date of filling property tax payments for the financial year 2022-23, from June 30 to July 15, while residents would receive a 15% rebate on making lump sum payments.
A senior MCD official said that Mr. Kapoor’s decision is under consideration while declining to comment further.
