The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BMP's plan on levies delayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 12, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BMP's plan on levies delayed

By Afshan Yasmeen

Govt. nod awaited for plea on exemption

BANGALORE: Are you wondering whether the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has forgotten about its new infrastructure cess and solid waste management cess that it was planning to collect from April 1? Not at all. Their collection seems to be only delayed. The civic body is still waiting for a nod from the State Government for exempting owners of two-wheelers and three-wheelers and 30X40 sites from paying the new levies.

When the BMP Council approved the proposal for the levies in February, the Mayor, R. Narayanaswamy, had promised the Opposition members that he would seek exemption from them for owners of two-wheelers and three-wheelers and 30X40 sites. And the requisition, sent to the State Government for approval, is still pending with it.

Mayor confident

While the Mayor is confident of getting his request approved, official sources in the BMP said it is unlikely because the State Government had amended the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act in October 2003 to enable all the six mahanagara palikes in the State to impose the levies. "The Act has to be amended again if exemption has to be given," the sources said.

"If the Government agrees to exempt owners of two-wheelers and three-wheelers and 30X40 sites from paying the new levies, it is possible that the process of collecting them could be delayed by a few more months," the sources said.

The BMP Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), B. Lingaraje Urs, told The Hindu that the civic body is "following up the matter with the State Government. We are hopeful of getting the Government's approval in a few days and the levies will come into effect soon. They will be collected with retrospective effect from April 1," he said.

Modalities ready

Mr. Urs said the modalities of collecting the levies are being worked out and will be announced once the Government approval comes through.

The BMP Commissioner, K. Jothiramalingam, had earlier said the civic body would tie up with the Regional Transport Offices and vehicle insurance companies to collect the infrastructure cess. Private contractors would be entrusted with the responsibility of collecting the solid waste management cess, he had said. As per the resolution approved in the council in February, the civic body has fixed annual infrastructure cess rates for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers and heavy transport vehicles. The solid waste management cess has been fixed based on the dimensions of the sites.

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