BJP, Congress join hands to pass plan
Agree to withdraw payment of conversion charges' on mixed land use.
New Delhi: In a significant move on Monday, the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) joined hands to pass a resolution withdrawing payment of “conversion charges” levied under Master Plan of Delhi-2021 on mixed land use.
The move will benefit establishments running in non-residential or commercial activities in residential premises on the notified roads or areas. The unanimously passed resolution urged the Central government, through the DDA, to take steps to exempt the property owners who have paid annual conversion charge from 2006-07 till date from making further payments of the mixed use charges.
Moving the resolution, NDMC’s leader of House Vijay Prakash Pandey said that since the municipal corporation does not provide any additional or special civic amenities in the area from where the mixed use charge are levied, so it is also not right to collect conversion charges from the people.
“In lieu of the conversion charges paid, the civic body is duty bound to provide civic amenities and proper parking facilities to them. But in the last 10 years, despite collecting huge sums of money as conversion charge, we failed to provide parking and other facilities. So, we recommend withdrawal of this charge,” said Mr Pandey.
As per the Master Plan of Delhi, “mixed use” means the provision for permitting non-residential/commercial activities in residential premises, and includes non-residential/commercial activities in residential premises abutting notified commercial streets/areas, but shall not include those activities, which are not permissible as per the master plan.
The NDMC’s House resolved that conversion charges from the owners under the category of “mixed land use”, who have already paid conversion charges since 2006-07 to date, may be exempted from recovery of conversion charges.
“However, newcomers under the category of “mixed use” may be charged 10 time annual conversion charge to be paid as per the categorisation of the area,” added the resolution.
Supporting the move, Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Goel said that his party is standing with the ruling party on issue of larger public interest.
“The Congress is with the ruling party on withdrawal of conversion charges but treasury benches must ensure that it is implemented,” added Mr Goel.
Conversion charges are levied at the rate of per square meter ranging from Rs 192 to Rs 767 for A and B category colonies, Rs 128 to Rs 511 for C and D category colony, and Rs 48 to Rs 192 for E, F and G category colony since 2006-07.