CIVIC Taxes hiked by 50% in 3 years: APUCF

Vijayawada (NTR district): The Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF) criticised the State government for increasing the taxes of all types by 50 per cent during the last three years at the behest of the Central government.

Addressing the media here on Sunday, APUCF State convener Chigurupati Babu Rao said that the increase would be 100 per cent in the next two years. The APUCF would take up the issue across the State throughout the year in order to inform the people of the secret agenda of the State and Central governments to burden the people, he stated.

He said that the urban population of 1.5 crore across the State is facing the heavy burden of taxes in the name of property tax, cooking gas, petrol, diesel, cement, garbage tax and water tax. He remarked that both the State and Central governments had transformed the local civic bodies as tax collection centres from service providers. "The State government is implementing the orders of the Central government to collect property tax on the basis of the market value of the property," he alleged.

'The property tax was increased by 15 per cent in the first year, and by another 15 per cent next year taking the increase of 32 per cent in two years. It will be increased by 15 per cent this year.'

Babu Rao said the decision of the State government to collect property tax based on value and also the collection of garbage tax and water tax are illegal. Moreover, the government has already implemented the scheme of fixing water meters in the city under the Amrit scheme, he reminded.

He said during the current year, the property tax worth Rs 1,995 crore has been realised whereas it was only Rs 1,412 crore last year. 'In essence, there has been an increase of Rs 583 crore, which is a burden on people. In addition, the civic authorities collect non-tax component of Rs 1,005 crore. They had also collected Rs 112 crore from 1.34 crore families in the name of garbage tax. The civic officials are more interested in tax collection rather than on development,' he criticised.

Babu Rao said that there is no action plan to overcome the water scarcity in summer. The State government is yet to hand over the Tidco houses to people, he said and expressed concern that the condition of the houses is deteriorating. The APUCF would take up the issue and fight on behalf of the people and if necessary, it would take up the issue legally, Babu Rao said.