The Hindu 08.08.2012
Building tax hike: court issues notice to Corporation
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the Kochi
Corporation and the Local Self-government Department to express their
views in response to the writ petition filed against the Corporation’s
decision to hike building tax.
The writ petition was filed by K.J. Antony of Pachalam and another person.The petitioner alleged that building tax had been revised upwards without hearing the petitioners and other affected residents.
Therefore,
there was a violation of the principle of natural justice. The
criterion adopted for zoning the areas for the purpose of tax had no
logic.
Pachalam area where the petitioner was
residing had been included in the Zone A. As per the norms, Zone A has
been considered as the most developed areas where business or commercial
establishment and education institutions, markets were functioning.
In fact, no government or other semi-government offices were functioning in Pachalam.Only small shops were there.In fact, Pachalam was not a developed area.
Though
the residents’ association had submitted a representation objecting to
the move to raise tax, no action had been taken by the Corporation to
redress the grievances of the petitioner.The Corporation took the decision to increase the tax unilaterally, the writ petition said.
‘The criterion adopted for zoning the areas for the purpose of tax had no logic.’
