The Deccan Chronicle 25.08.2010
Property tax hike opposedHyderabad, Aug. 24: The GHMC officials are likely to face stiff opposition to their proposal to hike property tax rates by 30 per cent. Even the MIM, an ally of the ruling Congress, has taken a strong objection to the proposal. The deputy mayor, Mr Jaffar Hussain, of the MIM said the GHMC would do better to concentrate on improving the civic services instead of planning tax hikes. “The MIM will oppose the tax increase proposal in the standing committee. We will meet the Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, and urge him to direct the GHMC to drop the proposal,” Mr Hussain said.
“On what basis has the corporation planned this tax hike? The officials’ explanation that the per capita tax is over `1,000 in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad and is less than `500 in Hyderabad does not stand good. The GHMC should conduct a survey to ascertain the civic services, sanitation and municipal services in each city in comparison to Hyderabad,” said the TD floor leader in the GHMC, Mr Singireddy Srinivas. The BJP floor leader in GHMC, Mr Bangari Prakash, said the corporation has not repaired the rain-damaged roads.
The Congress floor leader, Mr Kaleru Venkatesh, said, “We are not against the hike, but it should be affected after consulting citizens. Besides, the hike should be gradual and not 30 per cent in one go.” However, the officials are confident that they will convince the elected body of corporators on the tax hike issue. The officials have called for a meeting on Wednesday with the mayor, deputy mayor and floor leaders of the Congress, MIM, TD and the BJP to discuss the tax hike issue.
