Hyderabad, March 08: With State Government removing hindrances in increasing property tax, GHMC corporators are up in arms against the authorities planning to hike the taxes from the next financial year.
The 45 TDP corporators threatened to resign if GHMC officials made any move to hike property taxes in the twin cities. They said burdening people already facing price rise and other hardships was something they would not accept quietly.
TDP floor leader, Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said permission given by the state government to allow corporations to revise property tax was very unfortunate.
He demanded the mayor Banda Karthika Reddy to convene a special council meeting to discuss the issue. He lambasted the GHMC commissioner, Sameer Sharma for sending proposals directly to the government without discussing the issue with the Council.
Deputy mayor Jaffer Hussain said they would not allow GHMC authorities to increase property taxes. “In the last year, GHMC has utterly failed to provide basic amenities like sanitation and proper roads. When it has failed to basic services to people, how can it levy additional burden on them?” he asked. BJP floor leader, Bangari Prakash said they would oppose any move by the commissioner to increase property taxes.
Road cleared for tax hike
The state government passed orders yesterday removing restrictions on municipal corporations to revise property taxes. As per Rules 9, 10 and 11 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (Assessment of Property Tax) rules, revision of property tax should be restricted to 75 per cent of the existing tax. However, now the revised property tax can be revised up to 100 percent of the existing tax. The move will enable municipal corporations to increase property tax without any restrictions. This is expected to help the GHMC earn additional revenue of Rs 250 to Rs 300 crore. GHMC officials said the rules were omitted to avail Rs 664.23 crore of performance grant under the 13th Finance Commission and not to burden people with additional taxes.
—Agencies