Delhi Mayor Announces Exemption of Property Tax for Rural Residential Areas

Mayor Shelly Oberoi exempts rural residences from property tax in Delhi, igniting political tensions. BJP claims victory amid alleged protests.

Mayor Shelly Oberoi declared that property or house tax would no longer be collected from rural residential areas in Delhi. The Aam Aadmi Party-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has instructed the concerned department not to issue any property tax notices to villagers, providing a huge relief.

Addressing the media at a press conference, Mayor Oberoi stated, "MCD will abstain from collecting property tax from any rural residential areas in Delhi moving forward. This decision, in alignment with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's directive, follows extensive discussions with the heads of Delhi's rural areas. In a high-level meeting with property tax department officials on Friday, clear instructions were given to halt tax collection."

The decision is anticipated to bring relief to residents, as reiterated by the mayor. However, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that sustained protests and pressure from BJP workers compelled MCD to retract lakhs of property tax notices issued to villagers.

Sachdeva asserted, "AAP's withdrawal of notices is a response to the public's dissatisfaction, driven by the looming 2024 election. BJP councillors strongly opposed the imposition of property tax on villages during the monthly MCD meeting. We will now launch an agitation for the reinstatement of property tax discounts revoked from group housing societies."

Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal clarified that property tax would not be collected from rural areas across all 70 constituencies in Delhi. Chaudhary Surendra Solanki, the head of 360 MCD villages, expressed satisfaction after a meeting with the mayor and deputy mayor, emphasising that the decision reflects the acknowledgement of concerns raised by villagers.

Solanki stated, "We had also taken this decision in the panchayat of Peeragarhi. We are pleased that our concerns were heard. We hope that our other issues will also be addressed soon."