The Hindu 20.10.2010
Property tax: GVMC to issue demand notices
Staff Reporter
| They relate to assessments for which there is no increase in tax |
Assessments for which the hike is below 100 per cent will be taken up later
Disposal of revision petitions also to be taken up simultaneously
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation has generated 55,000 demand notices for property tax payment. After final verification of the notices on Wednesday for any mistakes, the serving of notices will begin on Thursday, say officials.
The notices relate to the assessments for which there has been no increase in tax.
The GVMC issued special notices for payment after revision of the tax based on plinth area and average rental value to all the 3.31 lakh assessments. Following resentment that the hike was steep, political parties launched agitations.
Mayor P. Janardhana Rao led an all-party delegation to Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Municipal Administration Minister Anam Ramnaryana Reddy seeking a rollback of the tax.
After that the government asked the Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration, and the Director for remarks. They asked the GVMC in turn for a status report and it had been sent, say officials.
After serving of the 55,000 notices, those assessments for which the tax hike was below 100 per cent would be taken up.
Simultaneously, disposal of revision petitions would be taken up.
A total of 46,719 revision petitions had been received. However, the progress on the disposal of the revision petitions appeared to be sluggish.
Though hearing for 26,955 petitions was completed and statements recorded, after physical verification only 1,950 were disposed of.
Corporation officials intend to start an across-the-table exercise to separate the casual petitions merely asking for lowering the tax. Those with complaints about mistakes about plinth area, use and tenant/owner mismatch will be physically verified before the demand notices are issued.
