Vijayawada: Citizens Forum stages stir against property tax hike

Vijayawada: Strongly objecting to the hike in property tax, the members of Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Forum staged demonstration here on Wednesday.

Addressing the gathering, convener of APUCF Ch Babu Rao said that it was atrocious to increase the property tax, garbage tax, water charges and others at a time people are facing economic challenges due to the pandemic throughout the country.

He recalled that the neighbouring states are announcing huge discounts on the property tax keeping in view the economic hurdles people are facing due to Covid19 but the AP government is enhancing the taxes burdening the common man. Babu Rao said that the people, who constructed houses taking loans from financial institutions, would find it difficult to pay the taxes along with the EMIs.

He blamed the BJP government at the Centre for dictating terms to the State government to enhance property tax. He deplored that the civic services are used as commercial activity making the urban local bodies into commercial institutions. He ridiculed the BJP State leaders for announcing the protest demonstrations in the State instead of staging protests at the Prime Minister's house.

Babu Rao took strong exception to the statement of municipal minister Botsa Satyanarayana that the burden would be only Rs 186 crore which is a blatant lie. "If the hike is only 15 percent what is the necessity of amendment to the municipal laws in the Assembly," he wondered and demanded an explanation from the State government.