The Deccan Chronicle 26.08.2010
GHMC tax hike plan rejected
Hyderabad, Aug. 25: The Mayor, Ms Kartika Reddy, along with the deputy mayor and floor leaders of the Congress, MIM, Telugu Desam and the BJP, in a unanimous decision on Wednesday asked the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation commissioner, Dr Sameer Sharma, to drop the idea of increasing property tax.
The GHMC has proposed an increase in property tax by 30 per cent from the next financial year and thereafter five per cent hike every year.
They suggested that the GHMC constitute a committee of corporators and officials to visit other cities in the country to study the tax structure and also the quality of civic services being extended by other municipal bodies.
Ms Kartika Reddy said the corporation should find other sources of raising revenue. There are thousands of properties on which property tax is still not being collected. They can be brought under the tax net and also under-assessed properties can be re-assessed.
The deputy mayor, Mr Jaffar Hussain, said increasing property tax without providing good civic services would amount to committing a crime.
“The roads are in the worst condition and the civic body has failed to take up proper repairs so far this rainy season. The MIM is against the proposed hike in property tax. Just because the corporation wants to obtain a loan of ` 600 crore to complete pending projects, it cannot plan to raise revenues by increasing tax,” he said, and demanded that the proposal first be tabled in the GHMC general body meeting.
The Congress floor leader, Mr Kaleru Venkatesham, said the GHMC should not act in haste. “Before getting public feedback, we will not allow the hike,” he said.
TD floor leader, Mr Singireddy Srinivas, said, “The government should support the GHMC by extending finances for completion of projects.”
The BJP floor leader, Mr Bangari Prakash, said any hike in taxes at this juncture would break the backbone of the citizens who are already burdened with high prices of essential commodities.
