Condition for leving betterment charges in clearance and development areas.

(1) When by the clearance or re-development of an area as provided for under sections 284A or 284F and 284G respectively any land will, in the opinion of the Commissioner, be increased in value, the Commissioner may declare that a betterment charge shall be leviable in respect of the increase in value of the land resulting from such clearance or re-development. (2) Before declaring that a betterment charge shall be leviable under sub-section (1), the Commissioner, shall serve on every person whose name appears in the Commissioner’s assessment book as primarily liable for the payment of property taxes leviable under this Act on any land or building or part of a building affected by the proposed levy of betterment charge a notice of his intention to declare a betterment charge in respect of the land, and specifying the time within which, and the manner in which objections thereto, can be made to the Commissioner. (3) The Commissioner shall submit to the Standing Committee any objections received under sub-section (2) and any suggestions he may wish to make in that respect. (4) The Standing Committee shall, after consideration of any of such objections and suggestions, make such modifications in respect of the proposed betterment charge as it thinks fit, and the Commissioner shall thereafter declare that the betterment charge, either with or without modifications, shall be leviable. 284 T.(1) When it appears to the Commissioner that an improvement or a clearance scheme or a re-development scheme is sufficiently advanced to enable the amount of the betterment charge to be determined, the Commissioner shall make a report to the Standing Committee to that effect and the Standing Committee after considering the report may by resolution declare the date on which for the purpose of determining the amount of the betterment charge the execution of the scheme shall be deemed to have been completed. (2) The betterment charge leviable in each case shall be determined in accordance with section 284S after following the procedure prescribed in sub-section (3) by such officer as the State Governments may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf at the request of the Corporation. (3) On a date being fixed under sub-section (1) and an officer being appointed under sub-section (2), the Commissioner shall, in consultation with such officer, serve upon every person on whom a notice in respect of the property affected has been served under sub-section (2) of section 272 or under sub-section (2) of section 284R a notice, which shall state — (a) the date declared by the Standing Committee under sub-section (1) as aforesaid; (b) the time (being some time not less than twenty-one days after the service of the notice) and place at which the assessment of the betterment charge will be considered by such officer, and every person upon whom such notice is served shall be entitled to be heard either in person or by a duly authorised agent when the matter is taken into consideration by such officer. (4) When such officer has determined the amount of betterment charge leviable in respect of any property, the Commissioner shall serve upon the concerned a notice stating the amount so determined. (5) With effect from the date of service of the notice under sub-section (4) and subject to the decision upon any reference made to the Tribunal as hereinafter provided in sub-section (6), the amount of the betterment charges determined as aforesaid and interest thereon, if any, shall be a charge upon the property in respect of which it is levied and shall be recoverable in the same manner as expenses declared to be improvement expenses under section 442. (6) If any person or the Commissioner is dissatisfied with the betterment charge determined by the said officer, he may, at any time within two months from the date of service of notice under sub-section (4) refer the case for the determination of the Tribunal constituted under section 284-O, whose decision in this behalf shall be final. (7) If no reference is made to the Tribunal for the determination of the betterment charge within the period specified in sub-section (6), the determination of a betterment charge by the officer appointed by the State Government in this behalf shall be final.] Municipal Fire-Brigade.