NDMC approves solar policy, hikes property transfer fee in Delhi

The policy targets to promote grid-connected solar plants in New Delhi to meet its electricity needs and export surplus electricity

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Thursday notified the new solar policy for Lutyens’ Delhi area, which the civic body oversees, while also granting a 1% increase in the transfer duty on the sale and purchase of properties in the New Delhi area.

The civic body passed the increase of transfer duty from the existing 2% to 3% in the case of females and third genders and an increase from 3% to 4% in the case of males, with effect from August 1, 2023. (HT Archive)

After incorporating the public feedback, the civic body approved the solar policy that targets to promote grid-connected solar plants in New Delhi to meet its electricity needs and export surplus electricity into the distribution grid.

In another policy approval granted by the council, the sale and purchase of properties in New Delhi will invite an additional 1% transfer duty. The civic body passed the increase of transfer duty from the existing 2% to 3% in the case of females and third genders and an increase from 3% to 4% in the case of males, with effect from August 1, 2023.

An NDMC official said that the government of Delhi has already notified the increase in the rate of transfer duty in MCD areas. “NDMC has decided to execute similar rates to bring parity with MCD rates. Once the new rates are implemented, NDMC is expected to generate additional revenue of ₹18-20 crore annually, the official said.

The NDMC Act permits the council to levy duty on the transfer of property not exceeding 5%. Transfer duty is part of the stamp duty and a registration fee levied by the revenue department on the total sale amount on a property acquired through a gift, conveyance, or sale deed.

A second NDMC official said that the new solar policy will help people utilise the existing roof space of buildings to harness the available potential to generate solar power and achieve the target of 100% renewable power consumption in New Delhi by 2025. NDMC vice chairperson Satish Upadhyay said that one of the salient features of the policy is relaxation in sanctioned power load.

“Earlier, the residential properties could only install solar panels or plants up to the sanctioned load capacity of their connection. If people increased their sanctioned power load, the fixed charges component of the bill also increased. Under our policy, if there is scope to generate more power for any property, there will be no increase in their fixed-use charges. This is the first such step taken by NDMC as a discom,” said Upadhyay.

The two policy decisions apart, the council also accorded administrative approval to transfer five-acre land at the Okhla compost plant back to the MCD, which had leased it to NDMC, for the development of a solid waste management facility.

A second NDMC official said that 20 acre in Okhla was leased to NDMC in 1980 out of which five acre will now be returned. “A proposal was received from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi commissioner in May 2023 regarding the transfer of the land,” the official added.

The decisions were taken in a meeting presided by NDMC chairperson Amit Yadav a day after Wednesday’s meeting was adjourned by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after heated arguments between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party over the handling of floods in the Capital. The meeting was adjourned in the absence of New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi.

Meanwhile, the four BJP members of NDMC also tabled a censure motion against the CM in his absence. Upadhyay said that the censure motion was tabled for “failure to control the flood situation in New Delhi and the non-availability of drinking water for 4-5 days in the NDMC area”.

The motion said that the Apex Committee on Flood Control in Delhi, headed by the CM, has not held a meeting due to which the NDMC area was also affected.

However, the AAP, in a statement, alleged that the BJP looted MCD for 15 years. “BJP has no work. Everyone knows how BJP looted MCD over the last 15 years. Their condition is like a thief scolding a police officer. All the scams done by BJP during its tenure will be probed and many of its leaders will go to jail,” the statement said.