In order to provide relief to the residents of unauthorised colonies, rural and urban villages till financial year 2016-17, Standing Committee Chairman of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Dr Bhupendra Gupta has asked the department to immediately prepare a draft in this matter to provide relief to assesses by waving off huge amount of penalty and interest on accumulated amount of property tax for the last many years. The scheme will likely be announced in next two months.

“The corporation has been providing relief to people with its amnesty schemes for the last two-three years. People are scared of making payment of huge amount of penalty and interest. The amnesty scheme provides them relief from the huge amount apart from making their property tax account up to date,” he said.

Dr Gupta said that poor and middle class families are putting up in unauthorised colonies and they have been constructing their house in such colonies by investing their money earned in last decades. “Generally, they are not in a position to make payment of their property tax since the amount of huge penalty and interest frightens them to do so,” she said,” adding that with waving off huge this amount they will come forward to pay property tax. Apart from this they become regular in depositing their property tax every year, he added.

Leader of House Kamaljeet Sehrawat said the next amnesty scheme likely to be announced in next two months. Replying to allegations that the projects under the civic body is delayed that lead to further cost escalation, Sehrawat made it clear that there has been no escalation and delay in any projects due to any laxity of SDMC.

He further stated that the delay and escalation has been only because of increase of the scope of projects and denial of funds from the city Government.