Nursery classes and CCTVs at schools, electric cars for staff in SDMC budget

This is in contrast to the North civic body, which had proposed levying a uniform property tax rate, instead of different slabs for various categories. The North corporation had proposed a flat 15% tax rate for residential properties, and 20% for commercial and industrial ones.

The East, meanwhile, has proposed three new taxes — betterment tax, education cess and professional tax. Under professional tax, individuals with an annual income of Rs 5 lakh or above will have to pay between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,500 every year.

The education cess will be a flat 5% of the property tax, while betterment tax will be an additional 15% levy on the total value of property tax, which will be levied on properties along Metro routes, and in places where new parks, roads and other infrastructure have been developed. The proposal will have to be ratified by the House of elected councillors and the standing committee before implementation.

The SDMC also proposed bringing an ‘amnesty scheme’ to pay pending property tax. To curb pollution, the corporation proposed buying only electric vehicles for its staff. The corporation also plans to start a sports complex in Ghuman Hera village. As for schools, SDMC plans to build 613 new classrooms, 22 toilet blocks and start classes up to Cass VIII in four schools on a pilot basis to check the dropout rate.