PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) officials stated that residents of 40 wards added to the municipal limits during the 2018–19 expansion will start paying property tax from 2028 after the end of the 10-year exemption period granted at the time of their inclusion. The MCD has been collecting property tax on commercial buildings in these wards but the residents were promised a 10-year exemption by the State government as an incentive to be included in the municipal area instead of remaining in Gram Panchayat areas.
MCD tax superintendent Rahul Kainthola said that the civic body has already prepared the list of these wards and clarified that tax rates fixed earlier will be implemented once the exemption period ends. The applicable rates depend on the size of the property, location and usage. Commercial properties, especially those located along main roads and in prime areas, will attract higher taxes compared to residential buildings.
Localities where the tax will be introduced include Malsi, Raipur, Sahastradhara, Dobhalwala, Natthanpur, Navada, Chandrabani, Arkadia and Balawala, among others that were brought under municipal limits during the expansion exercise, Kainthola added. He said that these areas were earlier given a 10-year relief period to help residents adjust after being included within the urban local body boundary.
With the exemption ending in 2028, the corporation plans to bring these wards fully under the property tax system. The corporation officials added that the implementation of property tax is expected to support improvements in basic civic amenities such as roads, drainage systems, street lighting and sanitation.
