At mahapanchayat in west Delhi, villagers seek waiver in house tax

The villagers said that if these demands are not met, protests will be held on September 16 at residences of both the LG and CM

Hundredsof villagers from across the national capital gathered in Peeragarhi in west Delhi and discussed the issue of house tax and property mutations across Delhi’s 340 villages, during a mahapanchayat held on Sunday.

Hundreds from across Delhi gathered at the mahapanchat in Peeragarhi on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The gathering was chaired by Palam Khap chief Surender Solanki whereby the gathering collectively demanded that the house tax should not be charged for the properties located inside the villages.

Solanki said that if these demands are not met, protests will be held on September 16 at residences of both the lieutenant governor (LG) and the chief minister.

Solanki said that the villagers in Delhi have been disempowered as a result of the government acquisition of their agriculture land.

He added that despite assurances by various governments, no jobs or alternative plots were provided.

“The gram sabha land of the villages have been taken over by the government and no land is now available for infrastructure development. The mutation of properties is not being undertaken and house tax notices are being issued. We demand that basic infrastructure of villages should be upgraded and the government should develop smart villages on the lines of smart cities,” Solanki added.

“Delhi’s rural population is being punished. They are also not getting the mutation problem resolved. The maintenance of villages is in bad condition today, and there has been neglect in the development works of rural Delhi. Lack of drinking water is also a big problem in the villages, especially in the villages of southwest and west Delhi,” said Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva while addressing the mahapanchayat.

Meanwhile, government officials did not respond to HT’s queries for comments regarding the demands made.