Vijayawada: Widespread condemnation of new property tax regime

Vijayawada: Hundreds of citizens of the city, who assembled at Kshetraiah Kalakshetram here on Saturday following the invitation of the municipal corporation to express their opinion on the new property tax regime based on value of property, outright rejected the move of the government to impose the property tax in the new system.

The municipal corporation organised the meeting with the citizens belonging to various sections including taxpayers association, chamber of commerce, members of Bezwada Bar Association, hoteliers association, cine exhibitors association, transporters association, budget schools association, consumers associations, colony and apartment owners welfare associations, urban citizens federation, sitting municipal corporators and former corporators.

However, though the municipal corporation called for the meeting, both the Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor failed to attend the meeting. The citizens said that it was nothing but humiliation to the citizens who attended the meeting.

All the associations submitted memoranda to the deputy commissioner of the corporation who attended the meeting. They demanded that the property tax should be waived for this year completely and the GOs issued to enhance the tax basing on the value of the property, garbage tax, water charges should be withdrawn along with the amendment to the municipal laws.

Cine exhibitors, members of malls and hotels associations appealed to the government to waive the tax for this financial year keeping in view the pandemic which caused heavy loss to all of them.

Instead of giving relief to them who incurred financial loss due to the closure of the establishments, it is unjust to impose more tax on them, they said recalling that several States including Telangana waived taxes much to the relief of the citizens.

For reasons better known to the officials, the media personnel were not allowed into the venue. The citizens contested the decision and demanded that the media should be allowed. However, the meeting went on without the media.