The Delhi BJP will oppose, both inside and outside the Assembly, the AAP government’s move to recover property tax from 60 lakh residents of 1,639 unauthorised colonies.
Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the property tax should be recovered only after these colonies are provided with all the facilities which are extended to planned colonies. It will be unjustified to recover property tax from them before providing them these facilities, he said.
Terming the Delhi government’s decision as one-sided, he said it was against the 70-point election programme of the Aam Aadmi Party. During electioneering, the AAP had promised in public meetings organised all over Delhi that if the party came to power, these colonies will be regularised and provided all facilities available to planned colonies.
“The AAP government has been in power for about nine months, but all facilities have not been provided there. Residents of the colonies are forced to live in a hell-like situation,” Gupta said. “There is a serious lack of basic facilities like electricity, water, drainage, fire stations, old age homes, community and recreation centers, transport facilities, legal water connections, etc. Till the government provides these facilities, a decision to charge tax is like cheating residents,” he said, adding if the government forces residents to pay tax, the BJP will protest on the streets and inside the Assembly.