Vijayawada: Aikya Vedika formed to fight against property tax hike

Vijayawada: In order to fight against the imposition of property tax based on its value, about 250 associations formed an Aikya Vedika with urban citizens in a webinar organised jointly by Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF), Tax Payers Association (TPA), Visakhapatnam Apartments Welfare Association (VARVA) and Federation of the Greater Visakha Colony Welfare Associations (NIVAS) here on Sunday.

Retired IAS officer EAS Sarma will be the honorary president of the Vedika MLC KS Lakshmana Rao will be the president.

Earlier, inaugurating the webinar, EAS Sarma said that imposition of property tax based on the property value is unconstitutional. He said that it was not proper on the part of the government, which waives various taxes in favour of the corporate houses, to impose additional burden on the middle class people. He deplored that the government has been taking one-sided policy decisions without consulting the citizens. He called upon the civil society organisations to unite and fight against the injustice.

MLC KS Lakshamana Rao said that the Bill was passed in the Assembly and the Council without any discussion and without the consideration of the State Finance Commission and the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments. It is outright unconstitutional, he averred.

AP State Bar Council member Sunkara Rajendra Prasad said that the government was acting against the principles of natural justice. Moreover, the government was not taking into consideration the opinions of various sections of the society, he said. Members of various associations also spoke at the meeting.

The webinar has decided to intensify the agitation and at the same time seek legal remedies to the problem. It was also decided to form action plan committees in all the cities and towns all over the State. The webinar has also decided to submit memoranda to all the Ministers including the municipal administration minister, the MLAs and the MPs. An elaborate action plan would be devised to launch a joint agitation.

The meeting demanded that the government withdraw the proposal at a time when the people are suffering due to the pandemic. The government should hold parleys with all the stakeholders before forming a rational tax policy and do away with the property value-based tax system. The government should reconsider the levying of vacant land tax since it is very high and burdensome.