Indian Express 07.04.2010
Kids score 90-plus, 98 taxpayers get cash reward
Express News Service Tags : BMC cash reward to tax payers, mumbai Posted: Wednesday, Apr 07, 2010 at 0000 hrs
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday gave Rs 10,000 each to 98 taxpayers whose children have scored more than 90 per cent marks in SSC and HSC exams. More than a year and half ago, the BMC had announced monetary awards to regular taxpayers whose children score over 90 per cent marks in SSC and HSC exams. The civic body had made provisions for this scheme in the budget for 2008-09.Staring at a shortfall in the property tax collection as compared to the financial year 2008-09, the civic body formulated the scheme in March 2010 with a view to encourage citizens to clear all their property tax dues. Citizens were informed about the scheme in March. Following this, over 100 applications were submitted. Of these, 98 applications were shortlisted by the civic body. The cash-crunched BMC will shell out around Rs 9 crore to award these 98 taxpayers.
N A Pathan, chief assessor and collector of the BMC said the response has been good and teh civic body is expecting more people to clear their outstanding dues and come forward to claim the award in the future.
Municipal commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya gave away cheques to parents of six students today. For the rest of them we will transfer the money electronically to their bank accounts,” said Pathan.
Hemant Mhatre, the father of Jayesh Mhatre who secured 93.15 per cent in SSC, said, “It is an innovative scheme to recover taxes. More than anyone, my son is happy about this and is calling it his first salary.”
In the past, the BMC had also introduced a scheme wherein the kin of a regular taxpayer could claim insurance if he or she died due to natural causes. However, only two people had submitted their applications for the same in the financial year of 2007-08
