DU owes over Rs 66 crore to municipal bodies

Delhi University owes Rs 66.48 crore while Indian Agricultural Research Institute owes Rs 40.70 crore as property tax to municipal bodies in the capital, government said today.
This was stated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullapally Ramachandran in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Delhi University and IARI are among a list of 15 hotels and institutions which are yet to clear their property tax dues.
However, except one case of Shaheed Raj Guru College in Vasundhrara Enclave which owes Rs 56 lakh, all other cases are sub judice.
According to the list as on April one this year, private discom NDPL owes Rs 20.27 crore, Tirupati Building and Offices Dwarka Rs 11.37 crore, Radison Hotel Paschim Vihar Rs 10.62 crore, Postal Department Rs 10 crore and City Park Peetampura Rs 5.80 crore.

The others in the list are Crown Plaza Rohini Rs 5.33 crore, Asian Hotel Ltd (Hyatt Regency) Rs 5.05 crore, Crown Plaza Okhla Rs 2.97 crore, Lodhi Hotel Rs 2.57 crore, Hotel Premier Inn Shalimar Bagh Rs 2.10 crore, Hotel Oberoi Rs 1.88 core and Delhi Milk Scheme Rs 1.76 crore.

"Recovery of outstanding property tax is an ongoing process and necessary coercive measures like attachment of rent and attachment of bank account are resorted to," the Minister said.
To another question, Ramachandran said, embassies of foreign countries have been exempted from property tax.
"The External Affairs Ministry has advised that the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations 1961 and the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities 1947 forbid levy of taxes in any form on diplomatic missions.

"Accordingly, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Municipal Corporations provide relaxation of property tax to various embassies situated in New Delhi....(thus) the question of (incurring) loss does not arise," he said.