The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress seeks withdrawal of Ordinance on UAV

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Sunday, Nov 23, 2008
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress seeks withdrawal of Ordinance on UAV

Special Correspondent

Party leaders describe Government’s decision as unconstitutional

Bangalore: Senior Congress leaders met here on Saturday to discuss the impact of the Ordinance introducing unit area value (UAV) system for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike areas, with the former mayors, deputy mayors and councillors demanding that the Government withdraw it immediately.

Briefing presspersons here, KPCC president R.V. Deshpande and working president D.K. Shivakumar dubbed the step as arbitrary and unconstitutional, as the Government could not promulgate an Ordinance on an issue which should be decided by the palike. Moreover, they said that it was anti-people, as the commissioner had been empowered to fix the rates, against which no appeal could be made.

The Ordinance was promulgated on October 25.

The Congress leaders said the commissioner would ask the revenue inspector to fix the UAV rate, opening the floodgates of corruption and harassment of citizens.

With this system in vogue, they said that the mayor and the councillors would have no authority or work to perform, the fixing and collection of property tax, being the major function of a civic body. And, they would be at the mercy of the commissioner and the officers.

Mr. Deshpande accused the Bharatiya Janata Party Government of deliberately not conducting elections to the BBMP, even though the Karnataka High Court had ordered it.

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