New Delhi: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s notice to the Delhi Zoo on the issue of property tax is in violation of Supreme Court order, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
In a written reply to a query, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, said the Delhi Zoo has received a Warrant of Distress Notice in October this year from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for attaching a sum of Rs 14,98,74,126 from the bank accounts, securities and deposits of the National Zoological Park in Union Bank of India, Sunder Nagar.
He said the demand of the property tax and service charge from the SDMC was not in accordance with the directions of the Ministry of Urban Development issued pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court and the Delhi Zoo had approached the SDMC with a request to charge the property tax in accordance with the circular issued in this regard.
“However, the SDMC subsequently issued the Warrant of Distress Notice, which is also in violation of the Supreme Court’s order that directs Municipal Corporations not to resort to coercive steps such as stoppage of services or revenue recovery proceedings for recovery of service charges from Union of India or its department,” the Minister informed the Lok Sabha.
Javadekar said having exhausted all the options and left with no other choice the National Zoological Park has approached the Delhi High Court for relief.
The minister added that the Delhi Zoo is not facing a sealing threat for evading property tax
