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VMC’s move to collect one-time settlement of property tax dues flayed

Tuesday, 11 April 2017 11:06 administrator
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The New Indian Express       11.04.2017 

VMC’s move to collect one-time  settlement of property tax dues flayed 

VIJAYAWADA: The Taxpayers Association has strongly opposed the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) move of circulating pamphlets allegedly threatening residents to pay property tax through one-time settlement for the 2017-18 fiscal.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, association secretary M V Anjaneyulu alleged that soon after the completion of the  fiscal year, the cash-strapped VMC was “over ambitious” to collect the property tax through one-time settlement. 

Tax Payers Association secretary
M V Anjaneyulu during a media
conference in Vijayawada on Monday | Express

The decision will affect the poor and middle class in the city. He pointed that the civic body has been violating the Section 264 of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Act 1955, which clearly states that taxes can be payable by the residents in advance either in half-yearly or in quarterly instalment.

Anjaneyulu also took a dig at the indifferent attitude of the VMC for not initiating action against the ruling TDP leaders whose names are listed as tax defaulters by the civic body officials. Not even a single notice has been served on them. At the same time, the civic body is evolving plans to burden the common people, he added.

“If the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is really committed to the development of the city, first it should serve notices and initiate action against the ruling party leaders,” he dared.

Last year also, the VMC planned to enforce one-time settlement for collecting property tax from the residents, but failed to do so after facing stiff opposition from the left parties and civic associations. 

Once again, the civic body has come up with the proposal this year as it failed to meet the fixed target, Anjaneyulu said. He added that if the VMC implemented one-time settlement for property tax, definitely it would have its impact on other taxations.
Association president V Sambi Reddy was also present at the news conference.

 

Municipal employees urge government to scrap GO 279

Tuesday, 11 April 2017 10:58 administrator
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The New Indian Express       11.04.2017 

Municipal employees urge government to scrap GO 279

VIJAYAWADA: Speakers at the roundtable meeting organised by the AP Municipal Employees’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Monday demanded that the State government scrap GO 279, promulgated by the Department of Municipal Administration, and provide salaries for the employees under GO 151.

Addressing the gathering, CITU joint action committee convener K Umamaheswara Rao said that GO No. 279 would eventually lead to displacement of workers.  “The contractors will cut down the manpower and make the limited men to work for saving big bucks.

Also, they will not pay the workers as per the standards. The big corporators will exploit the workers’ capabilities,” Rao said. 

Over 40,000 outsourcing workers are rendering their services in the municipal department. Since last decade, majority of the sanitation workers have played a pivotal role in the cleaning works across the State. No measures were taken by the State government in recruiting and regularising the services of the workers even after the retirement of permanent employees, he alleged.

AITUC State secretary A Ranganayakulu alleged that Telugu Desam government had issued the GO aimed at terminating the services of DWCRA groups in local bodies and handing over the sanitation contracts to Telugu Desam leaders.

 Majority of the municipal workers are hailing from weaker sections and the GO will affect their job security and hit their livelihood. The government  plan to privatise the services of the local bodies has put the municipal workers at risk, he said.

INTUC State leader Venkata Subbaiah came down heavily on the Telugu Desam government for its inefficiency in providing facilities to the employees, such as salary payment through GO 010, regularisation and implementation of Pay Revision Commission.

 

Local bodies told to better Plan implementation

Tuesday, 11 April 2017 00:00 administrator
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The Hindu       12.04.2017  

Local bodies told to better Plan implementation

Haritha Keralam Mission vice chairperson T.N. Seema speaking at the District Planning Council in Pathanamthitta on Monday.  

Lack of coordination among departments a hindrance

Local self-government institutions should take necessary steps to finetune implementation of various annual Plan projects in the second phase of the People’s Planning Programme, Haritha Keralam Mission vice chairperson T.N. Seema has said.

Dr. Seema was addressing the District Planning Council here on Monday.

She said the first phase of the People’s Planning Programme launched 20 years ago could succeed in making the common people aware that planning the annual Plan was their right, besides ensuring their effective participation in the planning process.

However, it was high time that execution part was given importance to make the second part of the programme a success, she said.

Development issues

Though the State could make tremendous achievements through the decentralised planning process, more stress should be given for enabling the local self-government authorities and staff to tide over the challenges posed to the State’s development, she said.

Dr. Seema said lack of coordination among various departments were often found to have been posing problems to the People’s Planning programme.

Pathanamthitta district panchayat president Annapoornadevi presided over the function.

P.V. Kamalasanan Nair, District Planning Officer; N. Rajeev, permanent member of the council; district planning council members Sam Eapen, N.G. Surendran, Binilal, P.V. Varghese, R.B. Rajeevkumar, and B. Sathikumari; Mohanraj Jacob, grama panchayat association president; and M.K. Vasu from KILA addressed the meeting.

 
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