Karnataka - Shimoga   

CMC to hold talks with citizens' groups on property tax increase

Special Correspondent

Federation of forums wants property tax rates to be reviewed

INTERACTION: Activists of Shimoga Nagarika Hita Rakshana Vedikegala Okkoota holding a discussion with Municipal President B.A. Ramesh Hegde in Shimoga on Tuesday.

SHIMOGA: Shimoga City Municipal Council (CMC) President B.A. Ramesh Hegde said here on Tuesday that he will convene a meeting of representatives of various citizens' welfare associations to review property tax rates revised recently.

He said this at a discussion held at his chambers with the delegation of office-bearers of Shimoga Nagarika Hitarakshana Vedikegala Okkoota (Federation of Shimoga Citizens' Welfare Forums).

Federation general secretary K.V. Vasanthkumar, who presented the memorandum, said property tax had gone up steeply after the municipal administration revised it further. He said steps taken by the Government in view of the protests staged by taxpayers had in no way helped them. He wondered why the Shimoga CMC should enhance tax rates when the other municipal bodies in the State had not resorted to it.

He said the taxpayers were kept in the dark about the enhancement in tax rates in the absence of the revised property value handbook.

The memorandum said the self-assessment scheme for the property tax rates was fixed by the Government at 0.3 to 0.6 per cent for houses and 0.5 to 1 per cent for commercial buildings as a result of sustained struggle put in by the federation for three years.

It said the revised property tax for 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 was accepted by taxpayers although there were inconsistencies in it with the only expectation that they will be benefited much in the coming years.

"But the property taxes fixed for 2005-06 are on par with old rates," he said.

It said the municipal administration did not call for objections from taxpayers, which was the statutory requirement when it increased the property tax.

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