The Deccan Chronicle 14.10.2010
No tax, no works is BBMP mantraOct. 13: Is the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) displaying a step-motherly attitude towards areas where property and other tax collection is below satisfactory levels? If residents of Bhuvaneshwarinagar of Sultan Palya are to be believed, the answer is yes.
According to the locals, BBMP had taken up a number of development works in and around Bhuvaneshwarinagar including asphalting and concretisatisation of the roads, clearing of drains, proper maintenance of street lights and garbage disposal. The work has now come to a standstill. Speaking to this newspaper, R. Rajshekhar, a local resident, alleged that BBMP officials are neglecting their area citing poor tax collection and urging them to ensure that the tax collection is better from their area before they seek any assistance from the civic body.
“Whenever we approach them seeking assistance, they tell us about all these issues. It is true that there are a number of tax evaders in our area. But I do not know how BBMP can deny civic facilities to the entire area for the mistake of some people,” he asked.
“There are scores of houses in our area and they are built after getting permission from BBMP. But due to the lethargy of local revenue officials, a majority of them have become defaulters. BBMP is now using this as an excuse to deny us facilities. But they are not giving anything in writing,” he said.
But BBMP officials deny any such step motherly treatment. Speaking to this newspaper, chairman of BBMP tax and finance standing committee P.M. Sadashiv said there is no provision to deny civic facilities for defaulting tax. “We are giving ` 4 to 5 crore per ward to take up development work annually. We are treating every ward as equal. In such a situation, such allegations are baseless,” he said.
But Opposition leaders in the Council claim development work has been halted due to shortage of funds. Opposition leader in the BBMP Council M. Nagaraj said when BBMP is facing a financial crisis, how can take any development work be taken up? Officials are simply misleading the general public,” he said.
