NASHIK: Senior officials from the state government's sales tax department will train employees of Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for implementing the local body tax (LBT). The training programme is likely to be conducted next week. The civic administration is already in talks with the sales tax department to decide the schedule for the training programme.

The preparations by the NMC to introduce the LBT have gathered momentum following Bombay high court's order of March 26 to implement it within eight weeks. The deadline ends on May 20 and the LBT is expected come into effect from May 21.

Speaking to TOI, a senior NMC official said, "We talked to senior officials of the sales tax department, who will impart training pertaining to LBT in municipal corporations across the state. The dates for the proposed training programme will be fixed in the next two days. During the programme, we are also planning to organize a special session for the industry and trade people with an aim to clear their doubts regarding LBT norms."

"At present, we are focusing on octroi collection, which will continue till May 20. We will start actual work two weeks before the date of implementation of LBT. We have already collected all the necessary information from the sales tax, excise and MIDC departments. There are around 20,000 businesses in the city and they will be enrolled for LBT shortly," the official added.

In June 2012, the state government had issued a notification to introduce LBT in Nashik with effect from July 1, 2013. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator, Gulzar Kokani, and Shiv Sena's Sudhakar Badgujar, leader of the opposition in the house, had then challenged the decision of the state government to introduce LBT in Nashik. On June 29, the high court had stayed the decision of the state government to introduce LBT. However, this year on March 26, the high court rejected the plea by Kokani and Badgujar and directed the civic body to implement the LBT within eight weeks.