Tehran City Council Member: Astronomical Properties Have Become Martian Properties

Two members of the Tehran City Council announced on Tuesday, July 25, that the municipality of the capital has a debt of 60 trillion tomans. This was while one of the deputy mayors of Tehran stated that the debt of this entity is 'only and only 20 trillion tomans.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Abbas Jadidi, a member of the oversight committee of the Tehran City Council, reported on Tuesday about the 60 trillion toman debt of the municipality of Iran's capital and called for municipal officials to be accountable for this debt. He stated that the Tehran municipality is preventing oversight and added, 'So far, they have not responded to my questions and reminders regarding the issue of transferring astronomical properties. In a way, astronomical properties have turned into Martian properties.' Abbas Jadidi also said that 'Tehran municipal officials should also be accountable for the costs of project implementation.' Jadidi's criticisms were not left unanswered by the Tehran municipality, and according to ISNA, Nasser Amani, the deputy for urban development planning and council affairs of the capital's municipality, asked him, 'Why did you remember these issues in the final days?' Regarding the '60 trillion toman debt' of the Tehran municipality, he said, 'If council members have documents regarding this 60 trillion toman debt, they should send them to the oversight units.' Mr. Amani stated that 'the maximum debt of the municipality is 20 trillion tomans' and addressed Abbas Jadidi by saying, 'Mr. Jadidi, you have written a letter requesting the performance of 12 years regarding properties. Certainly, preparing a list to answer this question is time-consuming.' The deputy mayor of Tehran stated that 'urban management has spent 135 trillion tomans over the past 10 years,' and 'if the debts are 20 trillion tomans, it would be 8 percent of the total figures, which is not a significant amount.' These statements prompted a reaction from Mohammad Mahdi Tondgouyan, one of the council members, who emphasized the 60 trillion toman debt of the Tehran municipality and said, 'Considering projects, unfinished work, and claims of individuals and banks, the Tehran municipality has about 60 trillion tomans in debt.' The vice president of the urban planning and architecture committee of the Tehran City Council stated that the realities must be conveyed to the people and added, 'We receive reports of decreased income from the regions. How can it be that a place has decreased income, increased assets, and has also settled debts and claims? Explain this urban miracle to us.' However, not all members of the Tehran City Council agree that the municipality has a debt of 60 trillion tomans. Reza Taghipour, the spokesperson for the Tehran City Council, said that the municipality's debts are 'only and only 20 trillion tomans' and added, 'Debts may even be for next year's budget, but we should never convert some commitments into debts.' This is not the first time that disagreements have arisen between members of the Tehran City Council and the municipality. One of the controversial and contentious issues was the case known as 'astronomical properties.' Last summer, several members of the Tehran City Council and Iranian media accused the Tehran municipality of 'violating' over 2 trillion tomans in selling its properties at more than 50 percent discount to council members, municipal managers, some journalists from state media, and the housing cooperative of the judiciary. Recent criticisms from members of the Tehran City Council regarding the performance of the capital's municipality, including its debts, have occurred in the final days of this entity's existence. The new Tehran City Council is set to begin its four-year term on August 5. The new Tehran City Council will be controlled by reformists for the next four years.