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Dehradun civic body plans to impose tax on 108 types of businesses
The categories include both big and small businesses, such as medical establishments, diagnostic labs, liquor shops, hotels, veterinary clinics, transport agencies, salons, tankers and petrol pumps
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) is planning to widen the “business tax” base by imposing it on 108 categories of businesses in the city to increase revenue generation, even as the civic body has drawn flak for its poor tax recovery efforts so far.
The categories include both big and small businesses, such as medical establishments, diagnostic labs, liquor shops, hotels, veterinary clinics, transport agencies, salons, tankers and petrol pumps.
“We are planning to impose business tax on 108 types of businesses, and officials have been asked to prepare sub-categories and tax rates for the same,” city mayor Vinod Chamoli told HT.
Once the proposal is ready, it will be put up for the DMC board’s approval and related by-laws will be created for the same, Chamoli added.
At present, business tax is levied only on wedding halls and nursing homes, out of which the DMC could roll up only `12,000 against a target of `5 lakh in the financial year 2015-16.
The DMC is hoping to collect `25 lakh in business tax the implementation of the new proposal.
A section of corporators targeted the DMC leadership for failing to impose the business tax effectively so far. “There is an acute shortage of manpower with us. I don’t think you (the DMC administration) will be able to impose tax on such a vast body of businesses at a time when we are not even able to collect 100% house tax,” said Dr Bijendra Pal Singh, the corporator of Bakralwala ward.
Green signal to budget
The DMC board on Tuesday passed its annual budget of `154.43 crore for the year 2016-17, during which it aims to earn `15 crore through house tax. In the last fiscal, it had earned `8.06 crore through imposition of house tax.
Other important decisions taken during the board meeting included deploying manpower for various purposes through outsourcing, increasing dog licence fee from `100 to `200 and holding a special anti-encroachment drive.
Smart city proposal gets nod
The DMC board also gave its approval to the capital’s smart city proposal, which will be sent to the Union ministry of urban development by June 30 for the second round of competition.
Though the proposal had to face criticism from a section of corporators, the board later passed it with majority support.
City mayor Vinod Chamoli said the revised smart city plan includes proposals for the beautification of Paltan Bazaar, Astley Hall, Gandhi Park and Clock Tower among others.
Under the pan-city proposal, the board approved creation of a ‘Dehradun One’ city app and the installation of intelligent poles which will have CCTV cameras, garbage bin and pollution sensors.
Smart city nodal officer R Meenakshi Sundaram said the core areas of the city have been included in the project so that maximum Doonites can avail the smart city services.
Dehradun’s proposal has already missed the smart city bus twice, during the first round of competition in January and later in its extended phase later in May.
