SC notice to govt, MCG over house tax levy

A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising justices DK Jain and HL Mattu, on Monday issued notices to the Haryana government, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and Department of local bodies, asking them why stay not be granted against the levy of house tax.

A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising justices DK Jain and HL Mattu, on Monday issued notices to the Haryana government, Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and Department of local bodies, asking them why stay not be granted against the levy of house tax.

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The decision came on a petition filed by the Gurgaon Citizens’ Council (GCC) in the apex court against the levy of house tax in Gurgaon, in May last year.

Residents of Gurgaon, especially those living in private localities like DLF City and others, had refused to pay house tax to the MCG, saying they had been paying maintenance fee to their respective private developers or maintenance agencies for years and the house tax puts dual burden on them.

Residents’ bodies who have urged residents not to pay property tax to the MCG contended that the corporation was yet to take over private localities being maintained by the developer and not the MCG.

GCC president RS Rathee said their petition was dismissed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2009, thus, forcing them to move SC.