Deccan Chronicle 01.12.2009

Bengalureans pay tax, BBMP says pay again

Nov. 30: Bengalureans are being overtaxed and they are hopping mad about it. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) recently sent around 50,000 notices to citizens for not having paid property tax.

Most of those who received the notices had, however, already paid their taxes either at BangaloreOne centres or BBMP offices. Furious at the ‘harassment’ by the civic agency and over being labelled ‘defaulters’, some citizens say they will stop paying taxes if they continue to be pestered by BBMP. “I paid my property tax in April but I’ve been served a notice by BBMP,” said Gopalswamy, a senior citizen who lives on 12th Cross, Padmanabhanagar.

M. Jagannath, also a resident of Padmanabhanagar, has a similar story. “I paid my taxes in advance and even received a 5 per cent discount,” he said. “I have never been a defaulter, but I received a notice for not paying the tax.”

Admitting that his department had technical problems, deputy commissioner (revenue) D.L. Chandrashekar said the government’s I-T advisors and the National Informatics Centre had been informed about the glitches that led to the payments not being registered. “We have issued notifications asking people to ignore the notices,” Mr Chandrashekar said.

But Citizen’s Action Forum president said authorities cannot harass citizens in this way, noting that BBMP has collected over Rs 700 crore in property tax this year.

Indian Express 30.11.2009

Water tariff hike within a week

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit

Year after Congress won its third term, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit talks of improving basic services — water, power, housing

Exactly a year after pulling off a third consecutive victory in the Delhi Assembly, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has laid down the options on the table: “If you want better services, be prepared to pay for them.”

After increasing fares for the Delhi Metro and bus transport on grounds of providing an improved public transport system, Dikshit said the tariff for water will be hiked and cleared within the next week.

“We have finalised the details and it will be cleared by the Board within a week,” the chief minister told Newsline during an interview on Sunday. “There is practically no billing on water consumption in this city,” said Dikshit, who also chairs the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). “My priority is to resolve the city's water woes in the next couple of years and this is a step in the direction.”

With the current subsidised rates, consumers are not charged for the initial 6,000 litres per month. This means 200 litres of water is provided free each day. The DJB now proposes to change this policy, which accounts for 12 per cent of financial losses incurred by the agency.

“During our Bhagidari workshops held with Residents’ Welfare Associations every few months, we realised that most complaints generally pertain to water and sanitation,” she said. “Complaints regarding water usually involve lack of supply during the peak summer months and contamination due to pipe leakage. We are in the process of re-laying pipes in some older parts of Delhi, but we will also have to shell out more money for better services.”

While there are 37 entry points into Delhi, Dikshit said the MCD-run toll tax counters are in a “very bad state and quite intimidating” for the commuter driving in. “We have asked the NCR planning board to consider forming an unified metropolitan authority and let all states equally stake claim on the taxes charged,” she said.

The new tariff plan is expected to promote judicious use of water and it will still be cheaper than most cities of the country.

Dikshit, who is also the power minister in the state government, said with the reforms introduced by her government over the last few years, the satisfaction level with the power situation in the city has gone up to reach between 82 per cent and 90 per cent. “This is the feedback we received during our interactions and it is quite good. A few years ago, power used to top the list of complaints. Now the satisfaction level has increased due to our consistent efforts.” The satisfaction level with the public transport system, particularly the Metro, has also increased.

Speaking of her recent proposal asking for a share in the toll tax collected by NCR states, Dikshit said: “Haryana and UP have put up toll bridges on borders, collecting toll from cars entering here. Car owners from the NCR use our road space and parking facilities, so Delhi too has a right to charge tax.”