According to senior officials, the civic body had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, earlier this week, challenging the order on the grounds that HC decision allows room for corruption.
The North Delhi Municipal Council has approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's order that struck down the civic body's 2009 by-laws, under which it could charge property tax even on vacant land.
According to senior officials, the civic body had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, earlier this week, challenging the order on the grounds that HC decision allows room for corruption.
"We have filed a petition in the SC challenging the decision. In the by-laws, there is a formula specified for assessing property tax. If the bye-laws are not upheld, it may end up allowing for corruption by leaving the entire assessment to the discretion of one person — the assessing officer," said a senior officer.
The HC decision in July had come as a relief to a number of owners including those of top hotels and five-star properties. It gave its decision after a number of petitions were filed over the years by a group of property owners including hotels, corporates and RWAs alleging that the NDMC was charging property tax on vacant land where there was no construction at a rate equal to the constructed area.
In most cases, the amount has been pending for years resulting in hundreds of crores that needed to be paid. A High Court bench had then "invalidated" the action taken by the civic body under the 2009 by-laws. The new by-laws had changed the method (the formula) for assessing property tax.
Currently, there are around 7,000 properties from which NDMC collects taxes, of which around 350 are high-value properties like hotels, clubs and some central government establishments.
The NDMC has collected Rs 577 crore as property tax in 2016-17, a jump from Rs 479 crore in 2015-16.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "NDMC")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}