MCD for survey to track property tax evaders

Suggesting ways for increasing collections, leader of the House Subhash Arya proposed that commercial properties like malls, five star hotels, guesthouses etc should be levied higher rates of taxes by bringing them under a separate category.

According to MCD's own estimates, it is losing out on property tax from almost two-third of property owners in the capital. There are 25 lakh properties in the city but only 8.5 lakh are paying property tax. Municipal councillors also said in most cases, the executive agency has failed to maintain and update the records of property tax collected.

Moreover, according to leader of opposition J K Sharma, some Rs 800 crore in tax was due from government and other agencies including PWD, DMRC and DJB. Sharma said: "The Municipal Taxation Tribunal was set up by the civic body last year to take up property tax cases and hear appeals on dispute in this regard. But that has not been of any help and instead turned out to be a financial burden for the civic body.''