Civic panel rejects hike in property, water tax

NASHIK: The standing committee of the Nashik Municipal Corporation on Thursday rejected the hike in property and water taxes for residential properties proposed by municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare in the civic budget for 2013-14. Other proposals were approved by the committee with certain amendments.

The administration had presented a draft budget of Rs 1,556.80 crore to the standing committee chairman Uddhav Nimse on Monday. The meeting of the standing committee was held on Thursday to discuss the budget presented by the municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare.

Khandare had proposed up to 10 per cent hike in property taxes and eight per cent hike in water taxes for residential properties. Rejecting the hike, Nimse said the proposal was unacceptable to the panel. "The rest of the budget was approved with some suggestions made by the standing committee members," Nimse added.

Earlier, Ajay Boraste of the Shiv Sena said, "We strongly oppose the hike in property and water taxes. In the case of water, only 60 per cent of the water supplied is being taxed, while 40 per cent of it is unaccounted for. Hence, the civic administration must make efforts to recover cent per cent water taxes instead of hiking taxes. Also, the NMC must undertake rainwater harvesting and water-saving projects."

Other members, including Prakash Londhe ofthe RPI, Dinkar Patil (Congress), Vikrant Mate (NCP), Balasaheb Sanap (BJP), Seema Hiray (BJP), Ashok Murtadak (MNS), Gulzar Kokni (MNS) and Vishal Gholap (MNS), too, opposed both the hike proposals.

During the budgetary discussion, the standing committee members made some suggestions like survey of properties, collecting one time property tax, safety training for women by NMC's women and child welfare committee, multi-level parking, audit of tree plantation, developing of anganwadis, determining the period to increase property and water taxes, building traffic islands to avoid accidents and for smooth flow of traffic, policy on advertising hoardings and acquisition of land for ring roads against TDR.