The local bodies
department will examine the issue in detail, studying the formula of
setting rates, seeing if the exemption of any category is feasible or
not and if it is, what the criteria and mode of payments should be.
Officials in the local bodies department are waiting for the minutes of
the MC’s last house meeting, which will be sent to the UT in a week or
10 days. The UT exercise will begin after that.

“After getting
the minutes of the MC’s house meeting, a committee of officers will be
formed to look into all aspects, including the collection amount of tax
and its formula. If the committee feels the amount is low and requires
revision, it will be done and public opinion will be sought,” M M Sabharwal, joint secretary of local bodies’ wing of the UT said.

According to M M Sabharwal, joint secretary of local bodies’ wing of
the UT, “There are various other issues, like exemption and mode of
payments, which need detailed brainstorming before a decision to impose
the tax is taken.”

Another UT official
pointed out that the amount the MC had passed for the tax is too low
and does not serve the purpose of tax collection. There are chances of
revision but MC has passed the house tax. Had it not been done,
financial grants from the Union government would have been hampered. The
MC decided to impose house tax on residential properties last month. The agenda was approved without a discussion as the house was completely disturbed.