NEW DELHI: The AAP-led MCD on Tuesday passed two major proposals—the regularisation of 12,000 contractual employees and a significant house tax waiver for property owners.
The decisions were passed during the MCD House meeting. The first of these proposals concerns the regularisation of 12,000 contractual workers across various departments, including sanitation workers, junior and senior engineers, and gardeners.
The proposal was first announced by AAP leader Atishi on Sunday.
Atishi, who had earlier stated that AAP was committed to job security for temporary workers, reiterated that this was a historic decision for Delhi’s civic body. “In the last two years, we made 4,500 contractual workers permanent. Now, with this move, we are ensuring job security for 12,000 more employees,” she said.
She also compared AAP’s governance in Delhi to that of Punjab, where the party has been regularising temporary teachers. “AAP delivers on its promises. This decision is one of the biggest in the city’s history,” she added.
Sanitation workers, who have long been demanding regularisation, welcomed the decision. The civic body has around 20,000 temporary sanitation workers, many of whom have staged protests in the past over low wages, lack of job security, and absence of financial support in case of death while on duty. In another major move, the MCD has passed a house tax waiver scheme aimed at providing financial relief to property owners in the capital.
Under the scheme, those who settle their 2024-25 house tax dues will have all previous outstanding amounts waived. The proposal was originally announced by AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Monday.
Commercial properties will receive exemptions
Commercial properties in rehabilitation areas will receive exemptions, and residents of 1,300 housing apartments, who were previously ineligible for concessions, will now benefit from a 25 per cent tax reduction.
AAP’s MCD in-charge, Durgesh Pathak, said the move would put an end to corruption in tax collection. “Under previous administrations, house tax was used as a tool to extract bribes.”