New Delhi, July 30 -- The Delhi government has begun issuing notices to 1,125 commercial properties with pending Infrastructure Fund Charges (IFC), warning that failure to clear the dues by August 15 could result in the attachment of their properties. The move is part of an ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in the collection of mandatory infrastructure charges.
Speaking to Millennium Post, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Minister Parvesh Verma said the government was still awaiting official records for the past five years but had already identified a large number of defaulters through its own scrutiny.
"We asked for data of five years, which we have not received yet. But as per our data, 1,125 commercial properties have dues of more than Rs 25 lakh each. It also includes some malls and big buildings. Even if we give them the benefit of the revised LPSC, around Rs 10 lakh will be recovered from each property. The total loss is around Rs 1,100 crore," Verma said. He added that notices had already started being issued to these properties.
"If they don't pay the dues after getting the notice, that property will be attached. The deadline to pay the dues is August 15," the minister said, adding that in the second phase, notices would be served to properties with outstanding dues between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh.
The action follows an investigation launched by the Delhi government into residential, commercial and group housing projects that allegedly secured building plan approvals over the past five years without paying the mandatory Infrastructure Fund Charge. Officials estimate the alleged irregularities may have caused revenue losses running into thousands of crores.
According to Parvesh Verma, preliminary findings indicate that in several cases, applicants obtained approvals from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) using Delhi Jal Board letterheads instead of valid no-objection certificates (NOCs) confirming payment of the mandatory charge. The government has also ordered scrutiny of the role of certain DJB officials and MCD staff in the alleged lapses.
The Infrastructure Fund Charge is collected by the DJB on new constructions and redevelopment projects to finance water supply and sewerage infrastructure. Earlier this year, the government reduced IFC rates by up to 70 per cent across various property categories to ease the financial burden on owners. However, officials said investigations revealed that several properties allegedly obtained approvals without depositing the revised charges as well.
The government has maintained that dues will be recovered from all identified defaulters as the investigation progresses.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.