By IANS
New Delhi : Pet-loving Delhiites can heave a sigh of relief. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Monday decided not to levy taxes for pets.
“There are several other sources to generate revenue. There is no need to levy taxes for pets. In any case, such taxation is not going to generate much revenue,” Subhash Arya, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led civic body, said Monday.
The civic body approved a budget of around Rs.52 billion for 2008-09, without imposing any new taxes. “The budget is people friendly,” said Arya.
The proposal to tax pets kicked off a hue and cry a fortnight ago when the Congress-led Delhi government approved the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2008, that stipulated among other things an upward revision in the taxes on pets not revised since long.
“The amendment had a provision to levy tax as much as Rs.500 on dog and cat owners annually, much higher than the existing slabs between Rs.12 to Rs.24,” Arya said.
The amended bill also proposed tax for buffaloes and cows – Rs.2,500 for a buffalo, and Rs.2,000 for a cow.
There was also a proposal for tax on draught animals like horses, mules, donkeys and camels. A tax of Rs.2,000 annually was suggested on four-wheeled vehicles drawn by animals, and Rs.1,000 for two-wheeled carts.
The Congress councillors have termed the budget “election friendly”.
Jain Kishan Sharma, Congress councillor and leader of opposition in the house, said: “The budget has been drafted with an eye on the coming state assembly elections. Such a budget would not help the civic body raise adequate funds to upgrade basic infrastructure in the city.”