Friday, Feb 25, 2005
Friday, Feb 25, 2005 |
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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Karnataka
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Bangalore
By Our Staff Reporter
BANGALORE, FEB. 24. Amid protest demonstrations and walkouts by the Opposition members, the ruling Congress in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) Council on Thursday approved the levying of infrastructure and solid waste management cess. This will be included in this year's BMP Budget. The levying of cess will come into effect from the next financial year. The BMP Commissioner, K. Jothiramalingam, told the members at the council meeting that the civic body would tie up with the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and vehicle insurance companies to collect the infrastructure cess. "Modalities on collecting the solid waste management cess are being worked out. The Government had amended the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act in October 2003 to enable the six city corporations in the State to impose the cess. It had also given a month's time for people to file objections. We cannot do anything now," he told the protesting members. There was pandemonium in the council when the subject was taken up. Opposing the levy of the cess and demanding a discussion on the subject, members of the Janata Dal (Secular), the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out and also staged dharnas in the well of the House. While the Janata Dal (S) and Janata Dal (U) members walked out even before the resolution was approved, the BJP members condemned the move and walked out after it was approved. As per the resolution approved in the council, the civic body has fixed annual rates for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy transport vehicles. While owners of two-wheelers will have to pay Rs. 50 a year, Rs. 100 and Rs. 300 will be collected from three-wheelers and four-wheelers, respectively. A cess of Rs. 400 will be collected from heavy transport vehicles, the resolution states. Likewise, the solid waste management cess will be collected from residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The rates have been calculated on the basis of the built-up area. In the residential category, the rate is Rs. 10 for buildings with a built-up area of 1,000 sq ft, Rs. 30 for buildings with 1,001 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft built-up area, and Rs. 50 for buildings with built-up area of 3,001 sq ft and more. In the commercial category, it is Rs. 50 for buildings with built-up area of 1,000 sq ft, Rs. 100 for buildings with built-up area of 1,001 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft and Rs. 200 for buildings with built-up area of 3,001 sq ft and more. The cess starts from Rs. 100 for industrial buildings The Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, promised the members that he would lead a delegation to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, and get the infrastructure cess exempted for two-wheelers and three-wheelers. Likewise, owners of residential sites up to a dimension of 40 x 60 will also be exempted from paying the solid waste management cess, he said
Service charges
The BMP also decided to levy service charges of 25 per cent of the probable property tax on all those buildings that have been exempted from paying tax to the civic body. The new rule will be applicable to all buildings, except places of worship. When members demanded that educational institutions should be charged more, the Mayor said that such institutions would be charged 50 per cent of the probable tax. The owners of such property can adopt the Self-assessment Scheme model of payment, he said and added that the civic body expects to mobilise additional revenue of Rs. 5 crores through the new levy. When the Commissioner pointed out that BMP could not modify the resolution at this juncture, the Mayor said he would urge the Chief Minister for the modification.
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