The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Improvement charges may be increased next year

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Improvement charges may be increased next year

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, SEPT. 2. Property-owners, who have to pay improvement charges to obtain a "khata" in the 27 new wards, now have time to pay till March 31, 2005.

At its subject meeting here on Thursday, the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council resolved to increase the charges after that.

"Now the charges are fixed at Rs.100 per square yard for those who pay a lump sum and Rs. 125 per square yard for those who pay in instalments.

People who pay after March 31, 2005 will have to pay more as the charges will be increased after that," the Mayor, P.R. Ramesh, said.

To make its "Sarala Khata Scheme" more citizen-friendly and in view of complaints that it was a burden on people to deposit the charges in one lump sum, the BMP had introduced an option of paying in five instalments.

Initially, the BMP had set a deadline of March 31, 2002, to pay the charges without the delayed payment fine. But it continued. Now, property owners have a fresh deadline of March 31, 2005.

Property owners have to deposit improvement charges and property tax from October 1, 1995, when the new areas came under the BMP's jurisdiction, to obtain a khata."The revised rates will not be applicable to people who pay at least 25 per cent of the charges before March 31.

They will be issued the khata after they pay the first instalment itself," the Mayor said.

Gangmen

The Council resolved to appoint 84 gangmen in the BMP. This proposal was pending for many years as the Government had reserved 33 per cent of the posts for women. Several aspirants for the posts had appealed to the BMP that they be given a chance, as women could not fit into the job profile.

The BMP has now decided to appoint all men for the 84 posts.

The other resolutions included construction of a slaughterhouse outside BMP limits, an indoor stadium at RPC Layout, and a market complex in Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi.

The resolution pertaining to this subject, approved amidst criticism from Opposition members, had to be changed in the Council hall, as it was full of errors.

Nine subjects relating to renaming of roads, 14 to land lease and acquisition and five to revenue and eight recording government orders were approved by the Council.

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