BJP accuses the govt of cheatings its citizens; claims to waive off full tax if it comes to power in the state again
The waiver offered last year on houses measuring up to 500 sq ft amounted to merely 10 to 30 per cent of the total property tax. The BJP says it will offer full waiver to houses measuring up to 700 sq ft if comes to power in the state. Representation pic
As expected, a political row has erupted over the BMC's decision to collect property tax from the owners of even small houses, with the BJP opposing the move on Thursday. mid-day had, on Thursday, reported about the BMC's decision to collect property tax from not just commercial buildings and big houses, but also from houses measuring up to 500 sq feet.
But the decision has not gone down well with the BJP. Prabhakar Shinde, group leader of the BJP, opposed the decision. “Just as the government cheated its citizens in the case of increased electricity bills, it has also cheated them in case of property tax.”
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The BJP claimed that if the Shiv Sena had sent a correct proposal to the Devendra Fadnavis's government last year, it would have offered a better waiver. As per a Government Resolution issued in 2019, only the general tax component in the property tax can be waived off, which is merely 10 to 30 per cent of the total tax. The remaining components include water tax, stormwater drainage tax, BMC education cess, state education cess, employment guarantee cess, tree cess, road tax, etc.
Also Read: Mumbai: BMC to take property tax from everyone this year
“In 2019, the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC sent a proposal to give relief to small house owners in property tax. If they had made the correct proposal [for complete waiver], the BJP would have approved it. At that time, even the Sena leaders in the Cabinet didn't oppose the approval,” Shinde said. He added that if the BJP comes to power then it will waive off the entire property tax for houses measuring up to 700 sq feet.
The BMC is in a financial crunch owing to the pandemic, and is aiming to collect around R6,768 crore from property taxes within the next four months.
Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar said, “I don't have all the information about the property tax now. But just like the rest, the BMC is also facing [financial] trouble due to the pandemic. Still, the corporation has given a concession to many who helped the civic body in the fight against COVID-19.” She added that the decision to tax small house owners too was not the final.
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