The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Politicians pressured Governor to defer CVS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 03, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Politicians pressured Governor to defer CVS

Krishnaprasad

S.M. Krishna Government had introduced the CVS
BBMP officials worked hard to implement it

Bangalore: It was the increase in the number of Assembly constituencies in Bangalore city to 21 from the previous 12 that worked in favour of property owners in Bangalores who opposed implementation of the Capital Value-based System (CVS) for property tax collection.

Many residents’ welfare associations and representatives of various trade organisations successfully used the higher number of Assembly constituencies as “magic figures” to build pressure on political parties, who have now made opposition to the CVS a “poll promise.”

Many residents’ groups, such as the Coordinating Committee of Residents’ Welfare Associations of Indiranagar comprising 23 residents’ associations, had shot off letters to political parties to make their stand clear on the implementation of CVS.

Although political parties have not committed themselves in writing, party representatives gave oral assurances that they would take up the issue. It would have been a difficult task to persuade the political parties on the issue if there were no elections ahead. Increase in the number of constituencies in the city acted as a catalyst, said a president of a residents’ welfare association who had met many political leaders in this regard.

Election issue

Bangalore city has become crucial for all major political parties following the increase in number of Assembly constituencies after the delimitation process.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took the lead in the attempts by political parties to take advantage of the situation as its leaders on Sunday announced that it would “oppose implementation of CVS in its present form and would include the issue in the party’s election manifesto.”

It was this announcement that “activated” Congress leaders to meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday to urge him to put the scheme on hold till elected bodies were constituted in the State as well as in the BBMP.

Even though it was the Congress Government led by the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna which had introduced the CVS, party leaders did not want to lose an opportunity to take “political mileage” out of the present situation and to overcome the criticism by residents’ associations which had criticised the Government for introducing the CVS.

Ultimately, it was this last-minute “political pressure” that worked as the Governor on Monday night directed the BBMP officials to put the CVS implementation on hold as against his earlier direction to implement the CVS in a “people-friendly manner”.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka