Abolishing house tax will end inspector raj, says Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Ahead of the municipal elections in the national capital, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday that the “inspector raj” prevailing in the BJP-ruled civic bodies will end with the abolition of house tax.

Hailing the announcement made by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday abolishing house tax if the party is voted to power in the corporation elections, Mr Sisodia said that BJP and the Congress should not worry as common man is happy with the promise of abolition of house tax which, he alleged, has become a source of widespread corruption for councillors and officers. “We have seen reactions of the BJP and the Congress.

Both parties should not worry about the promise made by the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party). Common man is happy with the announcement. Like we halved electricity bills and gave free water to 12.5 lakh people, we will also abolish house tax,” he said in a press conference. Terming the BJP as “Bhartiya Jumla Party”, the deputy CM said it has turned into a party which turns away from its promises and alleged that the saffron party which ruled the MCDs for 10 years is worried because a racket of property tax and “inspector raj” will be finished.

“They are worried because abolishing of house taxes wil l mean finishing of middlemen and corruption in the civic bodies. The house tax has given rise to inspector raj system in corporations which will be finished if AAP comes to power,” he said. Giving an example, Mr Sisodia said at present if a property tax dues is Rs 10,000 of a person, then a broker in a racket will take Rs 2,000 and tries to settle the dues.

“Both the BJP and the Congress gave similar reactions when we said that electricity bills will be halved and free water will be given. We successfully did it when we came to power and now we will abolish the house tax once we come to power in MCDs,” he said.

He reacted sharply to the comment by Opposition leaders that for abolishing house tax, the Delhi Municipal Act has to be amended by Parliament. “For abolishing house tax in Delhi, we do not need to go to Parliament. It was before 1993 that amendments were made to the Act by Parliament but after that the amendments in the act and even the last one in 2011 were made without going to the Parliament,” he said, adding that rumours are being spread to mislead people.