Corporators across party lines oppose tax hike proposal

  • | Saturday | 25th February, 2017

But setting aside the tax evaders, every year, the municipal administration brings out a proposal for tax hike. Less than half of the property owners in the city pay property tax which is the major cause of worry. "I am against it as I do not want to see the tax payers bearing the burden of increased tax rates. Instead, the ruling and opposition party corporators feel that the municipal administration should identify untapped properties and launched aggressive tax collection drives.Shiv Sena corporator Raju Vaidya said that corporators from his party would not favour the tax hike proposal. Over 60% of tax payers from the city are evading taxes for one or another reason.

Aurangabad: The municipal administration, which is desperately looking at generating more revenue in the next financial year by inflating property tax tariff, may not be able to implement it as corporators across party lines are strongly against the move.The corporators believe that the municipal administration should not put additional financial burden on the honest tax payers. Instead, the ruling and opposition party corporators feel that the municipal administration should identify untapped properties and launched aggressive tax collection drives.Shiv Sena corporator Raju Vaidya said that corporators from his party would not favour the tax hike proposal. Less than half of the property owners in the city pay property tax which is the major cause of worry. But setting aside the tax evaders, every year, the municipal administration brings out a proposal for tax hike. We need to change our mind set. Instead of forcing the honest tax payers to shell out extra bucks, the authorities should speed up the process of assessment of new properties. It will generate huge revenue for the civic body," he said.Vaidya said the party will opposse the proposal in the general body.Former standing committee chairman and BJP corporator Dilip Thorat also opposed the move. "I am against it as I do not want to see the tax payers bearing the burden of increased tax rates. I fail to understand the authorities objective behind tax inflation. There are many other ways to consolidate the financial condition of the civic body," he said.Thorat said that mobile tower companies, firms putting up illegal hoardings, commercial property owners and some institutions are evading tax. "If the civic body executes a systematic and planned tax collection drive targeting the evaders, the tax collection will see a stupendous growth," he said.BJP corporator Nitin Chitte also said that there are thin chances of the proposal getting general body's approval. "We are all aware that due to financial crises, the civic body is unable to complete many projects. But it does not mean that the civic body will hike tax," he said.MIM corporator Vikas Yedke said that his party would oppose the proposal in the larger interest of the society. "Let the authorities improve the percentage of tax payers. Over 60% of tax payers from the city are evading taxes for one or another reason. We want the administration to bring them under the radar," he said.There are about 1.75 lakh registered properties within the municipal limits but officials believe that about 60,000 properties are still out of reach of the authorities.The special general body meeting will decide the fate of the proposal on Monday.

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