PMC rejects property tax hike ahead of Lok Sabha polls

A 12 per cent hike was proposed for the 2019-20 financial year in the draft budget presented on January 17

In order to avoid fomenting public anger just before the Lok Sabha elections this year, the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday rejected the property tax hike proposed by Saurabh Rao, municipal commissioner, in the draft budget.

e standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday rejected the property tax hike proposed by Saurabh Rao, municipal commissioner, in the draft budget (Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

A 12 per cent hike was proposed for the 2019-20 financial year in the draft budget presented on January 17.

Yogesh Mulik, chairman, standing committee, said, “The standing committee is of the view that the administration should identify other sources of revenue and concentrate on recovering tax dues. Hence, the committee unanimously rejected the 12 per cent property tax hike.”

However, the standing committee approved an increase in water tax by 15 per cent for the next three years.

GENERATE OTHER REVENUE SOURCES

The association of Ahmednagar road residents’ forum suggested other revenue sources to the standing committee like increasing rent of hawkers, penalties for illegal hawkers, scrutinising properties that are used for commercial purpose, but pay rent as per residential rates and executing the parking policy.