Amid protests by residents and vegetable farmers demanding abolition of toll tax and Octroi, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) on Monday came out with an enhanced tax structure for the year. Disregarding the protests outside the SCB office, the board members passed a resolution revising the octroi and toll tax in the meeting.
Except for a few articles, tax rates for majority of items, including grains, flour, cement and steel and iron etc are revised. The new rates would be displayed at all circle offices in cantonment for one month and if there are any objections, people can inform the same to the Board's Chief Executive Officer S. Balakrishna.
New rates would be implemented in the new contract, which would come into effect from October first week.
The move to revise octroi and toll tax comes following repeated complaints of excess charging by contractors. Defending the move, authorities further informed that the existing rates were fixed in 1974 and were not revised since then. The rates have been revised reasonably and this move will aid in curbing excess tax collection by contractors, they said.
By revising the tax, the board is imposing additional burden on residents and farmers. Already a few cantonment boards in the country have abolished the octroi and toll tax and the same should be implemented here, demanded D. B. Devender, a resident while interrupting the board meeting.
Replying to residents, Board president Major General K. Digvijay Singh said the board was not empowered to abolish the octroi and toll tax. It can be done only by Central government after the State government agrees to compensate the tax revenue to cantonment board, he explained.
Meanwhile, tempers ran high, when elected board member Jaya Prakash and Chief Executive Officer S. Balakrishna entered into a heated argument over inclusion of motions passed by members during board meeting.
Mr. Jaya Prakash, elected member from eighth ward said that the CEO was biased in preparing resolutions. Actual deliberations of the meeting were not being recorded, instead the CEO was including select points and modifying the version of the members, he charged. Denying the same, Mr. Balakrishna said records would be maintained only after the members' approval.
