Faridabad MC in crisis, seeks its share of stamp duty

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, August 25

Faced with a financial crisis, Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) has demanded immediate release of its share of Rs 100.73 crore from the stamp duty revenue collected till May-end.

With a budget of Rs 2,400 crore, the civic body is largely dependent on income generated from taxes and grants from the state government.

“We have written a letter to the office of the Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies, for its help and intervention in realising the funds from the kitty of stamp duty collection — pending for some months — in order to meet the general and routine expenses of the civic body,” said Anita Yadav, Commissioner, MCF. She said the MCF gets a two per cent share in every case of land registration done in its area. This share is passed on at regular intervals by the department concerned to the civic body, it is added.

“It is submitted that while the MCF has to make payment of Rs 66 crore to contractors as per the High Court order dated March 27, other liabilities like the repayment of loans, Seventh Pay Commission arrears to employees, retirement benefits to those who have retired between June 2018 and June 2019 had led to severe financial pressure on the civic body. It needs to be addressed without delay,” says the letter.

It is added that as the financial position of the civic body had been very weak due to a heavy gap between monthly income and committed expenditures, it will be difficult for the MCF to discharge or clear liabilities without the release of the pending funds on this account.

With dedicated monthly expenses of Rs 20 crore, which include the salary bill of the civic body , the MCF is also required to clear outstanding power bills of over Rs 60 crore to the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), it is reported.