Ghaziabad civic body asks residents to pay up ‘hiked’ property tax

Ghaziabad residents oppose a property tax hike rejected by the municipal board. Mayor urges delay in payments until tax is clarified; legal action may follow.

Ghaziabad: Days after the board of the Ghaziabad municipal corporation rejected the property tax hike as per new structure on June 30, the civic agency has started messaging the general public over phone to pay up the hiked tax.

Residents now allege that the tax hike, as per new structure, has inflated their bills by around 3 to 5 times. The corporation officials, however, claimed it was around 1.5to 1.75% hike. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The board on June 30 had rejected the property tax hike as per the new structure. The special meeting was called by city mayor Sunita Dayal who took notice of the property tax hike opposed by councillors and residents.

Residents now allege that the tax hike, as per new structure, has inflated their bills by around 3 to 5 times. The corporation officials, however, claimed it was around 1.5to 1.75% hike.

“Residents should abstain from paying the hiked tax till the exact incidence of tax is ascertained. For this, the residents should also make self-assessment. We are also conducting survey of properties to assess actual tax. I will speak to the officials about the issue and will seek reply about the delay in release of official minutes of the board decision taken on June 30,” Mayor Dayal said.

When contacted, corporation’s chief tax assessment officer Sanjeev Sinha declined to comment on the issue.

“It seems that the officials are not adhering and respecting the decision of the board. The delay in release of minutes is another issue. We will put up the matter before the high court,” the Mayor added.

During the board meeting, almost the full majority of 100 councillors along with public representatives, including Ghaziabad MP Atul Garg, and three MLAs, opposed the hiked tax.

To be sure, the city currently has about 452,000 old properties and an estimated 125,000 new/untaxed properties. The current tax structure includes house tax (10%), sewage/drainage tax (4%), and water tax (10%).

“We opposed the hike in tax, and we will again oppose the move of messages being sent to residents to pay up the hiked tax. We will continue the fight against the hike. It seems that officials are not respecting the board’s decision. The situation is also confusing residents,” said Colonel TP Tyagi (retired), chairman of the flat owners’ federation – an association of residents and RWAs.

“The decision of the board must be respected. We will soon approach the officials in Lucknow and bring the issue to their notice. If the residents are asked to pay the hiked tax even after the board’s decision, it would lead to protests,” said Sanjay Singh, councillor from ward 100 of Shipra Sun City, Indirapuram.

The issue of hike in property tax has also reached the Allahabad high court as three former councillors, including Himanshu Mittal, have already filed a PIL against the hike.

The next hearing in the case is on July 29.