Urban News

The hindu  28.09.2010

Board on property tax likely

G.V. Prasada Sarma

The hike in property tax has become a contentious issue in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: The State Government is likely to constitute a board to deal with issues relating to property tax in municipalities and municipal corporations. The setting up of the board on property tax is as per the 13 {+t} {+h} Finance Commission's recommendations.

The Government is sending a team of Municipal officials to West Bengal where a board has already been functioning. The team will visit West Bengal for three days from October 3. The official team is to submit its report to the government by October 15. The team will study how the board is functioning, the modalities and the benefits from such a board.

The team comprises Additional Director in Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department T. Muralidhar, Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Tirupati Municipal Corporation Chandramouleeswara Reddy, Municipal Commissioner of Ramagundam N. Satyanarayana and Additional Commissioner (Finance) of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation P. Purnachandra Rao.

The hike in property tax has become a contentious issue in Visakhapatnam with Opposition parties launching an agitation demanding that the government cap the hike at 50 per cent of the tax prevailing on March 31, 2010, in accordance with the municipal general body resolution. An all-party delegation led by Mayor Pulusu Janardhana Rao had represented to Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Municipal Administration Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy seeking lowering of the tax.

Officials say even in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation the erstwhile municipal corporations that were merged in it have been collecting property tax according to individual gazette notifications and not in a uniform manner. The board is expected to address such anomalies.

The Hindu  28.09.2010

‘Stop collecting property tax from Nayee Brahmans'

Staff Reporter

ADILABAD: The AP Legislative Assembly Committee on Welfare of Backward Classes on Monday asked Adilabad Municipal authorities to suspend collection of property tax from Nayee Brahmans.

Committee chairman G. Tippaswamy said Nayee Brahmans were exempted from paying property tax as per a GO.

The committee was responding to a petition submitted by the Nayee Brahman organisation during its visit to Adilabad. It questioned Municipal authorities on the rational of collection of property tax from the members of this community.

Expressing surprise over the absence of an office of the Handlooms Department in Adilabad district, Mr. Tippaswamy said the committee would recommend opening of the office of Handlooms Assistant Director here. The committee would also recommend shifting of the Fisheries Department office from Nirmal to the district head quarters, he added while reviewing the implementation of rule of reservation for BCs and welfare programmes for this category.

Taking severe note of the absence of officials from some departments at the review meeting, the chairman asked the administration to take suitable action against the absentees. He also promised to apprise the government about the various problems faced by backward communities like the one related with fee reimbursement.

Committee members P.R. Pocham Reddy Subba Reddy, B. Indira and Kaveti Sammaiah, Collector P. Venkateswarlu and Adilabad Superintendent of Police P. Promod Kumar were also present. The members accepted petitions from representatives.