MCD polls on time: DPCC chief

New Delhi, Dec 28 (UNI) Asserting that the polls for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi would be held on time, Delhi Pradesh Congress committee President Rambabu Sharma today asked the party councillors to gear up for the elections.

''The election for the MCD will be held before March 31,'' Mr Sharma said after a function organised to felicitate him for his contribution in introducing property tax reforms in the corporation.

Asking the Congress councillors to gear up for the polls by speeding up pending developmental works in their respective wards, Mr Sharma said, ''We should enter the polls with a full state of preparedness.'' Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the MCD House Jitender Kochar said the Congress Councillors were ready for the polls.

Dismissing the view that the sealing and demolition operations over the last 10 months had lowered the public image of the Congress, Mr Kochar said,''Congress Councillors are not to blame for the sealing in various areas. Rather, they have engaged themselves in a series efforts to save traders from the clutches of sealing.'' Mr Sharma denied that the Congress image had taken a beating due to sealing and demolitions.

''The administration of the MCD has had several achievements to its credit under the Congress. For example, it is under our Government that the unit area method for assessing property tax was introduced which has led to increase in income of the corporation from property tax by bringing two lakh more people under its ambit,''Mr Sahrma said.

Councillor Sanjay Puri said before the implementation of the Unit area method, the number of property tax payers was six lakh which has risen to eight lakh after implementaion of the new method.

Infact, the property tax reforms of the MCD have been lauded by the Commonwealth Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) which appreciated and recognised Property Tax Reforms in Municipal Corporation of Delhi with respect to mplementation of Unit Area Method for Assessment of Property Tax.

A certificate to recognise this achievement was also awarded to MCD.

Mr Puri said Mr Sharma, during his stay in the MCD, was instrumental in implementation of Unit Area Method in the capital, thus helping to curb Inspector Raj and bring more transparency in the working of Property Tax Department.

Stating that MCD was the only local body in the country to have implemented property tax reforms in a record time of less than two years, Mr Sharma said thanks to its role in introducing the reforms, MCD figures in the list of 16 local bodies shortlisting for a PM's award for local bodies who have implemented innovative developmental schemes, to be given to four such bodies on the Republic Day.

''Figuring among the 16 bodies is a commendable achievement considering that 300 local bodies were into fray initially for the honour,''Mr Sharma said.

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