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BCC to discuss proposal to revise property tax

Saturday, 18 July 2009 06:51 administrator
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The Hindu 18.07.2009

BCC to discuss proposal to revise property tax

Staff Correspondent

Belgaum: The Belgaum City Corporation (BCC) is exploring the possibility of revising property tax.

The matter will be discussed at a meeting of the corporation’s council on Saturday. However, property owners have been opposing revision of property tax. According to them, it is ill-advised at a time when the economy is badly hit. A shop owner referred to the recent reports stating that the Centre and State Government had sanctioned funds for the comprehensive development and beautification of the city. The corporation should concentrate on the effective use the funds instead of burdening the people by revising property tax.

However, the possibility of the Opposition parties in the corporation council opposing the proposal to revise property tax is not being ruled out.

The corporation council will discuss the long-pending demand for a railway line from Belgaum to Hubli via Sulebhavi, Bailhongal, Savadatti and Yellamma temple.

Proposals to construct three road over-bridges in the city, a modern slaughterhouse at Halbhavi village near Vantamuri and purchase of new vehicles for the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor will also be discussed.

Last Updated on Saturday, 18 July 2009 06:56
 

At last, HMWS&SB has full charge of water supply

Friday, 17 July 2009 08:13 administrator
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The New Indian Express 17.07.2009

At last, HMWS&SB has full charge of water supply

Express News Service

 

HYDERABAD: The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of water supply for surrounding circles of Greater Hyderabad (erstwhile 12 surrounding municipalities) will be taken over by Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board with immediate effect. Previously, HMWS&SB used to provide bulk supplies to these erstwhile municipalities who in turn would supply water to its customers in an inconsistent manner.

The decision was taken with a view to put an end to the confusion being created on account of dual control of the same system. Besides, fund constraints of the HMWS&SB are addressed by way of single functional control and shared financial responsibilities.

There are about 2 lakh water customers in these 12 circles. The State Government issued orders directing the HMWS&SB to take over the O&M of water supplies.

The HMWS&SB officials informed the Government last month that the GHMC staff who regulate the water supply system should work under the control of HMWSS&B officials for day-to-day operations and maintenance.

The O&M cost of network system and outsourcing staff salaries would be borne by the GHMC for the next two years. Subsequently, the reimbursement will be tapered down by 25 per cent every year for the next three years i.e. 75 per cent for the third year, 50 per cent for the fourth year and 25 per cent for the fifth year.

The maintenance of hand pump borewells, power borewells and charges for water tankers for unserved areas will be under the respective Deputy Commissioners of GHMC for now.

The GHMC will hand over the water supply consumer details after a detailed field verification, to HMWS&SB for developing a revenue billing system data base and start raising demand notices to the customers on provisional/consumption basis.

The Water Board would duly fix meters for each connection and complete the exercise within a period of six months.

The HMWS&SB will furnish the list of beneficiary contribution (30 per cent) proposals for laying water supply lines to GHMC for receipt of the balance 70 per cent share contribution from GHMC. Earlier, individual ULBs used to deposit such balance share amount and GHMC would deposit such ULB share amount to the HMWS&SB for grounding of all such schemes.

The GHMC will furnish the list of colonies where regularisation was done by the planning wing, to the HMWS&SB. The Board will work out the requirement of funds for providing water supply and sewerage for those colonies, such that GHMC will release the money from the funds collected under Layout Regularisation Scheme (LRS).

GHMC and HMWS&SB officials will take up a special drive for door-to-door survey to unearth illegal water supply connections and to take steps for regularisation.

 

Building tax: local bodies to get one more chance

Friday, 17 July 2009 06:15 administrator
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The Hindu 17.07.2009

Building tax: local bodies to get one more chance

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has decided to give one more chance to the panchayat committees and the municipal and corporation councils to bring about changes in the rates fixed by the government for revising building tax.

Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty said here on Thursday that it was being done on the pleas of these bodies following complaints that the revised rates were considerably high.

He said the rates per sq m (11 sq ft) suggested by the government for residential buildings were Rs.3 to Rs.8 in grama panchayats, Rs.6 to Rs.15 in municipalities and Rs.8 to Rs.20 in corporations. But many local bodies had fixed the tax at the higher rates. They themselves were not demanding a change in it.

The Minister stated that he had given directions for reconsidering cases in which the revision had exceeded 60 per cent.

The rate would be fixed at 60 per cent till a decision was taken as part of the reconsideration process.

Last Updated on Friday, 17 July 2009 06:19
 

Plea to review building tax reforms

Wednesday, 15 July 2009 08:20 administrator
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The Hindu 15.07.2009

Plea to review building tax reforms

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The district committee of the Licensed Engineers and Supervisors Federation (LENSFED) has urged the government to review the revised building tax.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, State president of the federation Punchakari Surendran, district president S. Salim and secretary S. Rajendran said the newly-introduced self-assessment method had resulted in an increase of 100 to 300 per cent in the tax. They said the unscientific system of assessment had fixed the basic tax itself at a high level.

The federation leaders said the master plans or town planning schemes of most cities in Kerala were over 30 years old. They observed that efforts to revise the zonal regulations had failed to take off. The leaders said revision of master plans and town planning schemes was imperative to revitalise the construction sector.

The federation alleged that the ban imposed on sand-mining from rivers at many places was unscientific. “The ban has only led to the creation of the sand mafia and a thriving black market in river sand. Scientific measures based on studies are called for if the objective is to mitigate the environmental impact of sand mining,” Mr. Rajendran said. Highlighting the need to promote the manufacture of sand from crushed rock in the government and cooperative sectors, he called for steps to popularise the alternative material.

The federation urged the government to exempt fallow lands from the ban on construction in paddy fields. Mr. Rajendran said the blanket ban was preventing hundreds of landowners from constructing houses. He called on the government to activate the local committees constituted to assess the status of paddy fields and recommend their utilisation for housing. He also demanded permission to construct upper floors on existing houses in farmland.

The federation alleged that officials in local self-government institutions were demanding hefty bribes for clearance of building plans. Mr. Rajendran appealed to the government to enforce the one-day building permit scheme for buildings up to 300 sq. metres and impose a definite timeframe for sanction of plans. The federation will stage a dharna before the office of the Municipal Director here on Tuesday.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 July 2009 08:23
 

AMC records higher property tax collection

Tuesday, 14 July 2009 13:17 administrator
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The Times of India 14.07.2009

AMC records higher property tax collection
AHMEDABAD: In the times of recession Amdavadis have come out in good numbers to pay their property taxes. According to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), it has recorded an increase of 50% over last year's revenue collection through property tax.

For the three months, April May and June, property tax collection for the civic body was about Rs 11.57 crore as against Rs 7.73 crore last year. Nearly 60 per cent of the revenue came from the new west zone, according to senior AMC officials. This was a result of spot registration and filing of property

taxes. "We had created squads that went around the new west zone and identified properties that were not registered with the AMC," said a senior AMC official.
 
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