EDMC, NDMC to build office complexes

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) are going all out to earn more revenue by building office-cum-commercial complexes.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) are going all out to earn more revenue by building office-cum-commercial complexes.

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The cash-strapped civic bodies have ordered separate surveys of all its vacant plots so that a feasibility report can be prepared.

Yogender Chandolia and Mahek Singh, chairman of standing committee of NDMC and EDMC respectively, said many plots belonging to the corporations were lying vacant. Several plots have even been encroached upon by shops and building mafia.

"Once the survey is completed, office-cum-commercial complexes will be built and given out on rent. It will be a good way of earning revenue," said Singh.

Multi-storey buildings will come up in the area. Apart from helping EDMC and NDMC earn more revenues, it will also generate employment.

According to a rough estimate, there are about 100 plots with these corporations on which the complexes can be built.

The EDMC is the poorest of all the three corporations carved out of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

With an annual budget of R1,500 crore, the civic body is under a debt of R421 crore. The NDMC is under a debt of R729 crore.

The EDMC has already started holding property tax camps to collect taxes but is looking for newer ways to make it financially strong.

It has to renovate its headquarters at Udyog Bhavan, which does not have proper facilities, by building meeting halls and adding more rooms.

Singh said that EDMC will explore other avenues to increase its revenues while following the party (Bharatiya Janata Party) line not to impose any new taxes on the common man.

"RP cell of the EDMC will be strengthened and asked to work harder to increase the revenue to provide better civic facilities in East Delhi," Singh added.