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Taxation


PMC finalises rates for water tankers

Tuesday, 07 July 2009 10:38 administrator
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Source : The Times of India Date : 07.07.2009

PMC finalises rates for water tankers

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday fixed the rates for water tankers following allegations that they were charging the citizens exorbitantly.

"Following complaints, we have fixed the rates for tankers that purchase water from the PMC. They should charge Rs 600 for 10,000 litres of water, Rs 700 for 15,000 litres and Rs 800 for 20,000 litres. If any tanker operator is found charging more than this, citizens should contact the PMC's ward office and register a complaint," said municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade.

The civic chief told reporters that the PMC was plying 23 tankers in the city, including six for Urali Devachi and Phursungi. "The PMC has hired 47 tankers on contract and they make 300-350 trips in various parts.

Additional municipal commissioner M S Devnikar said a survey for digging of borewells was being conducted. "The PMC has decided to acquire borewells in public places so that their ownership remains with the civic body."

The BJP had alleged that tankers were selling water at almost six to seven times the cost at which they were getting it from the PMC. Citizens also complained that the PMC provided water at Rs 200 per tanker of 10,000 litres, but the tanker owners sold it for Rs 800-900 per tanker. In many places, the rate was still higher, the citizens have alleged.
 

MCD to review theatre tax policy

Monday, 06 July 2009 07:52 administrator
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Source :The Hindu Date : 06.07.2009

MCD to review theatre tax policy

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain has stated that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi would be reviewing the policy of increasing the theatre tax soon with a proposal in this regard having been sent to the Delhi Government about five years ago.

This proposal seeks amendment to the IVth Schedule of the Delhi Municipal Act, 1957, to increase the maximum leviable theatre tax by the civic body on cinema theatres from the present rate of Rs.7 to Rs.10 per show to a maximum extent of Rs.1,000 per show.

However, the Mayor clarified that this upper limit has been envisaged for any future increase and does not necessarily imply that the theatre tax would be increased to Rs.1,000 per show. “The proposal in this regard was sent to the Delhi Government about five years ago. However, this policy amendment also needs to be reviewed in the present circumstances because the cinema industry has been badly hit by competition from the cable and satellite television industry and piracy.”

 

MCC to publish list of water bill defaulters

Thursday, 02 July 2009 08:05 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 02.07.2009

MCC to publish list of water bill defaulters

Staff Correspondent

Drive to be undertaken in August to collect dues, says Mayor

 

Chronic defaulters are those who’ve not paid up for long

‘Their connections will be terminated if they do not pay’


Redressing grievances: Mangalore Mayor M. Shankar Bhat (centre) and Deputy Mayor Rajini Duganna (right) at a water adalat in Surathkal on Wednesday.

MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) will shortly publish a list of “chronic defaulters” who owe it more than Rs. 1 lakh towards water charges, Mayor M. Shankar Bhat has said.

Speaking to presspersons at Surathkal on Wednesday, he said the defaulters had not paid their water bills for many years. The corporation would start a drive in August to collect dues from defaulters and disconnect water supply connections in case they did not pay, he said.

The Mayor said that some officials in the corporation had told him that there were 69,842 authorised water connections (consumers) in the jurisdiction of the civic body. Of them, only 43 per cent were paying bills regularly.

Mr. Bhat said that after the spot billing method was extended to all 60 wards in the corporation a year ago, some consumers were getting exorbitant bills. There were instances where domestic consumers had been issued bills of more than Rs. 1 lakh for a certain period. This was owing to a fault in the meters, he said and added that such consumers would not be termed “chronic defaulters”. Those who could be called so were the ones who had never bothered to pay their bills for many years. The list of chronic defaulters comprised both domestic as well as commercial users.

To a question, he said the defaulters owed as much as Rs. 11 crore to the civic body. This amount included Rs. 3.5 crore that the Kannur and Bajal gram panchayats had to pay to the corporation for supplying water from the Thumbe vented dam.

The balance was due from individual defaulters, hotels and other establishments.

The Mayor said the corporation had held a water adalat at its head office at Lalbagh recently.

One more adalat each would be held at its head office and at Surathkal shortly. Consumers whose grievances had been solved at the adalats should pay their bills within the given time. If they failed to do so, the corporation would file civil cases against them.

Replacement

He said that if there were faults in the water meters, consumers should replace them on their own. Quality meters were available in the market for approximately Rs. 800. After replacing faulty meters, consumers should inform the corporation about it and produce a copy of the guarantee card of the meter, he added.

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 July 2009 08:09
 

MCD property tax software crashes

Thursday, 02 July 2009 07:09 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 01.07.2009

MCD property tax software crashes

NEW DELHI: A large number of people were unable to avail of the 15 per cent rebate on property tax as the online system of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi crashed on the last date for filing of property tax on Tuesday. Though the civic body had kept its centres open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., people preferred to use the online system rather than submit it manually at the 12 zonal offices and headquarters of MCD. MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said: “During the past three days, the online system was slow because it was being hit 3,500 times per minute, peak time being from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This crash occurred last year as well due to the last-minute rush. However, there is no question of extending the June 30 deadline.”

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 July 2009 07:14
 

Udupi CMC discusses errors in property survey

Thursday, 02 July 2009 07:07 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 01.07.2009

Udupi CMC discusses errors in property survey

Staff Correspondent

Notice issued to those who have paid tax

Udupi: The issue of survey of properties for tax assessment dominated the general body meeting of the Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) here on Tuesday.

Raising the issue, councillor Kiran Kumar said that the CMC had assigned the task of surveying the properties to a private agency.

There were many anomalies in its survey and the CMC had served notices to many property-owners in the city, based on the erroneous data provided by the agency. Besides, the CMC had wrongly mentioned huge amounts in the notices against the property tax to be paid by the people. Many people who had paid their property taxes promptly under the self-assessment scheme (SAS) were taken aback by these notices. The CMC should take action against those responsible for serving such wrong notices to property owners, Mr. Kumar said.

Councillor M.R. Pai alleged that many elderly people, who came to the CMC office to enquire about the anomalies in the notices, had been ill-treated by the CMC staff. This had only compounded the problem. “The CMC staff should be taught to behave courteously with the people,” he said.

Dinakar Shetty, president of the CMC, conceded that there were anomalies in the survey. Notices had been sent without discussing the issue with him. “Such unilateral actions will no longer be tolerated,” he said.

Councillors Nityananda Volakadu and Jayananda said that the attempt of the CMC at implementing the door-to-door collection of solid waste had failed, and people continued to throw garbage on road sides. Mr. Shetty said that a majority of the people were still not handing over their solid waste to the agency-appointed workers. Steps should be taken to increase public awareness on the system, he said.

Last Updated on Thursday, 02 July 2009 07:09
 
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