Withdraw ordinance on property tax, demands APUCF

Vijayawada: The State government should withdraw the ordinance on the property tax which would be burdensome to people in the State, demanded Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF).

Convener of APUCF Ch Babu Rao, addressing the media at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Vignana Kendram here on Saturday, said that it was shame on part of the State government to succumb to the pressure of the Central government in issuing the ordinance.

He demanded that the Assembly should pass a resolution rejecting the suggestion of the Centre to impose property tax basing on the value of the property. At a time when the whole world was giving concessions to people in view of the pandemic situation, it is highly deplorable that the State government was imposing more taxes on the citizens, he said. "The neighbouring Telangana State government announced discount of 50 per cent in property tax," he recalled.

It is highly misleading that the Ministers were saying that the proposed hike in tax would not cross 15 per cent. "Nowhere in the ordinance was it mentioned that the hike would not cross 15 per cent but only in the GO it was mentioned."

The changes were made in the enactment to withdraw the 15 per cent mark once the municipal elections are over and the government was hiding this, he pointed out.

Moreover, the government introduced the garbage tax which is unprecedented. It is really atrocious that the government was converting the drinking water supply, sanitation and underground drainage into a commercial activity. These decisions would result in exorbitant increase in the drinking water and drainage charges in future.

It is deceitful that the government was saying that the taxes collected would be spent by the local bodies. In fact, the State and the Central governments should provide match-in grant to the taxes collected by the local bodies for the development.

Babu Rao said that the Centre and the State government have no right to enhance the taxes which is the prerogative of the local bodies. Once the elections are conducted, the elected bodies would discuss and raise the taxes, he pointed out.

APUCF would conduct a State-level meeting on Sunday and decide the future course of action, he said.