Delhi HC directs fresh property tax assessment of 1,438.20 acres of land part of IGI Airport

The Delhi High Court has directed fresh property tax assessment of 1,438.20 acres of land, which is a part of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, as per the Cantonments Act 2006.

While quashing all the previous assessment orders issued by the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), a division bench led by Justice Manmohan said in the fresh proceedings, the annual rateable value will be determined on the basis of the actual annual rent received by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), which operates IGI Airport, from the land in question. If the tax is paid within 30 days from the date of demand, then DIAL will be entitled to a 25% rebate, it said.

DIAL will now have to disclose the rentals for 2006-2016 within 90 days.


The HC was hearing the petition by DIAL against the DCB’s demand of around Rs 2,600 crore property tax for 2016-19 and also for determining annual rateable value for 2019-2022, which was pegged at Rs 2891 crore with respect to the same land that is being used for airport and passenger facilities.

The Board is charging the property tax at an exponential factor of more than 140 times, DIAL said, while stating that the tax levy by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation was much less than that demanded by DCB.