Even as the Opposition Congress and BJP were trying to make the most of the decision of Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) to collect Vacant Land Tax (VLT), ruling party MLA D. Vinay Bhaskar has waded into the issue by appealing to the authorities to withdraw the decision.
Both the Congress and BJP leaders have been mobilizing public opinion against the VLT and District Congress Committee (DCC) president Naini Rajender Reddy who has been on padayatra in various divisions has been telling people how the GWMC was collecting a tax that was not imposed even in capital city Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, GWMC Commissioner VP Gautham said that the corporations’ revenue staff had identified some 30,000 open plots and majority of the land owners were not paying the vacant land tax. The corporation served notices to the land owners asking them to pay the VLT. It is reported that of the 30,000 plots houses have been built on 5,000 plots and they were even allotted house numbers.
The Congress and BJP have expressed serious opposition to the VLT and wanted the corporation to withdraw it. Scores of Congress activists laid siege to GWMC office recently following a call by the District Congress Committee (DCC).
He found fault with the GWMC officials warning the citizens that they have to pay the VLT now or they would have to pay the tax with arrears when they construct houses. “The citizens are being threatened. This is ridiculous,” he opined.
BJP district president Rao Padma argued that nowhere else in Telangana was VLT imposed.
Sensing trouble and growing discontent among people, Warangal West MLA D. Vinay Bhaskar has urged the officials to review their decision and withdraw the tax. He said he would take up with issue with Municipal Administration Minister K. T. Rama Rao soon.
