The Hindu : Karnataka News : Rescind decisions on tax scheme, water rates, says Congress

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Karnataka

Rescind decisions on tax scheme, water rates, says Congress

Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE: The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee has urged the State Government to rescind a decision taken by the administrator of Mangalore City Corporation to usher in the self-assessment scheme (SAS) to collect property tax.

Demanding that the Government immediately intervene and stop the corporation from going ahead with collection of taxes under SAS, the committee warned it would resort to agitation if there was no official response.

The vice-president of the committee Ivan D’ Souza told presspersons here on Tuesday that SAS is unscientific and not suited to the city given its topography.

Welcoming a call by Mangalore City South MLA N. Yogish Bhat urging people not to pay revised taxes under SAS prior to the elections, Mr. D’ Souza urged the corporation to discuss the matter on priority at its next general council meeting and take a decision.

Claiming that there would be at least 10-fold increases in taxes for domestic and commercial buildings if SAS were implemented, he said administrators cannot adopt here a taxation scheme suited for a city such as Bangalore. He said SAS was being introduced to help pay off the loan taken from Asian Development Bank.

Mr. D’ Souza also criticised the move to increase water rates for domestic and commercial consumption with effect from September 1, 2007. Reminding people about an appeal made by Mr. Bhat to the voters not to pay the enhanced water rates, Mr. D’ Souza appealed to the corporation to reduce the rates and urged Mr. Bhat to intervene in the matter.

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