EDMC budget proposes new taxes, education cess, entomology lab

(Eds: Adding details, reax of parties)

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The EDMC today proposed two new taxes and an education cess in its budget, which also includes a plan to develop an entomology laboratory and a training centre for combating mosquito-borne diseases.

Commissioner, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), Ranbir Singh, while presenting the budget at the EDMC headquarters here, said air purifiers would be installed at the chest clinic in Shahdara.

"The EDMC proposes an education cess of five per cent of the property tax. It would add Rs 10 crore to the funds of the corporation annually. This amount would be used for educational purposes," he said.

The EDMC budget also proposed a betterment tax at the rate of 15 per cent of the property tax. This would generate an additional revenue of Rs 10 crore annually, the civic body said.

"A professional tax is proposed to be levied on individuals who have an annual income of Rs five lakh. This would generate Rs five crore," the budget document read.

The budget also proposed to develop an entomology laboratory and a training centre to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

The AAP today dubbed the new taxes proposed by the EDMC as "anti-people", while Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal opposed the move insisting that instances of corruption in the civic body should be reduced.

Delhi BJP spokesman Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the budget proposals of EDMC were presented by the Commissioner of the civic body. These are not the proposals by the deliberative wing that is formed of BJP councillors, he said.

"The Deliberative Wing will take a call on the budget proposals keeping in mind the interests and concerns of the citizen living under the EDMC jurisdiction," he said.

The Congress termed the budget proposals as "anti-people and anti-Dalit", alleging that the new taxes will add to the burden faced by residents of the areas under the jurisdiction of the civic body.

"There is nothing new in the budget. A large number of Dalits who live in East Delhi have not been taken care of. The new taxes will further hit hard the people," said Rinku Jayan, leader of Congress councillors in the EDMC.

The Commissioner's budget also proposed to increase capacity of processing waste at Ghazipur waste-to-energy plant from 1300 MT per day to 2500 MT per day. "12 MW of electricity is being produced at the plant by processing 1300 MT per day," he said.

First model English-medium primary school was developed at Kaushikpuri, he said, adding that CCTV cameras have been installed in 15 municipal schools.

All children studying in municipal schools and aided schools of the EDMC have been insured against accidental death and disability, the budget said.

The EDMC also proposed to develop a hostel for working women on PPP model at Dilshad Garden. PTI KND PR VIT SMN