Botcha Satyanarayana downplays burden of property tax increase

Visakhapatnam: Minister for municipal administration and urban development Botcha Satyanarayana said that the new tax will not exceed 15 per cent on the market value of the property as per government records and assured that it will be implemented in the most transparent manner.

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Satyanarayana said that the decision on new tax was taken after examining the tax system across many states. "With the new taxation, the state would only earn an additional revenue of Rs 186 crore, but the opposition is portraying it as Rs 1,000 crore which is false," Satyanarayana said.

Dismissing the allegations made by the Opposition for burdening the public with the new tax system, the minister clarified that the property value-based tax decision was taken before the local body elections and it will not be burden the taxpayers.

About the decentralised administration, the minister said the exercise for the same had commenced when the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill was passed.

The minister slammed the TDP for 'politicising' Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's visit to Delhi and made it clear that his tour was meant for the welfare of the state and to seek funds. He said it was ridiculous that the TDP leaders claimed that the visit was to seek a way out for the Chief Minister's 'personal' cases.

The Opposition failed to speak on the state issues that benefit the public like demanding more vaccines from the Centre, he said.

On paddy procurement, Satyanarayana said the government is procuring cent per cent of paddy from the farmers and Andhra Pradesh is the only state in the world to offer high prices for paddy.

Further, the minister announced that the government is launching 'Clean Andhra Pradesh' (CLAP) programme on July 8, commemorating the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.