Vijayawada: APUCF demands moratorium on municipal taxes

Vijayawada: Taking strong exception to the pressure from the officials to pay house tax and water charges on the citizens throughout the state, Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF) demanded here on Tuesday that moratorium should be announced on the payment of these taxes to the municipalities keeping in view the financial difficulties people have been facing due to the lockdown in the country.

CH Babu Rao, convener of the APUCF addressing the media here on Tuesday said that some of the municipalities in the districts of Kurnool, Chittoor and Vizianagaram have even increased the taxes and even demanding payment of penalties and interest on the taxes which is not proper.

He deplored that the packages and the concessions in view of the Coronavirus lockdown announced by the Centre and the State government were not implemented much to the chagrin of the people.

The state government has announced that the small traders, hawkers and street vendors would be helped on all counts but in reality, the administration has been collecting cess and daily taxes from the street vendors, he pointed out. He regretted that the contractors at the public toilets also did not stop collections from the people.

He demanded that the government should come forward to help the people who were suffering in the absence of business and salaries or income.

Babu Rao demanded that the government should waive the property tax, water and drainage charges and trade licenses for the financial year 2020-21 for the half year in general and for one year for the poor.

The small traders and street vendors should be given financial help in addition to the waiving of cess and daily tax. He demanded that Minister for Municipal Administration should intervene and give instructions to the officials on the moratorium on tax collection.

He warned that the people would launch an agitation if the government did not stop tax collection.