Praja Bheri resents civic tax burden on Sattenapalli

Sattenapalli: The Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation's Praja Bheri which reached here on Saturday came down heavily on the government for providing tax concessions to the corporate houses and additional taxes on the citizens.

Convener of the APUCF Ch Babu Rao addressing the meeting said that the State government yielded to the pressure of the Centre to get additional loans and ready to levy additional taxes on people with impunity.

Babu Rao recalled that the Central government had given tax concessions to the Adani data centre at Visakhapatnam for the next 20 years and added that the 1.60 lakh urban people are going to bear the brunt of Rs 10,000 crore by way of municipal taxes.

He deplored that the State Cabinet resolved enhancing the lease period for corporate companies from the existing 33 years to 99 years. "Moreover, the municipal taxes were amended to allow the civic bodies to levy additional burden of taxes on drinking water, garbage collection and drainage.

He said that it was unconstitutional that the Centre decided the extent of the municipal taxes. "It was a blatant lie by the municipal minister that the tax would be enhanced by only 15 per cent," he said.

He demanded the government to explain by enhancing the taxes at a time people are suffering due to the pandemic.

Advocate Pamulaiah presided over the meeting. The activists took out the rally after the meeting and burnt the copies of the GOs in front the tahsildar office. The activists from Vinukonda, Narasaraopet, Chilakaluripet, Macharla and other municipalities participated in the meeting and procession.