Rural Delhi threatens protest over delayed house tax exemption

Villages in rural Delhi have announced plans to protest the upcoming mayoral and deputy mayoral elections on November 14 if the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) failed to issue a promised house tax exemption for rural properties.

Last December, the MCD Mayor, Dr Shelly Oberoi, announced no property tax would be collected from residential areas designated as ‘lal dora’ or extended ‘lal dora’. However, Surender Solanki, leader of the Palam 360 villages said, “The MCD promised the tax waiver last year; however, it has not been formalised. This delay is a clear sign of how our rural communities are neglected and side-lined.”

Solanki added that the rural residents of Delhi feel betrayed. “The promises made seem designed only to make headlines, but nothing changes on the ground,” he said.

Currently leading the ‘Gaon Dehat Bachao Yatra,’ Solanki and his supporters are rallying to bring attention to the longstanding issues facing rural Delhi. He emphasised that the tax exemption is a critical issue, alongside other concerns affecting rural residents’ daily lives.

Solanki said if the exemption is not officially notified before the mayoral elections, the villagers would protest. “If the government does not act, we will protest during the mayoral polls,” he stated.

Earlier, the villagers had also announced plans to boycott the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections if the government failed to address their concerns.