Several civil society groups, representatives of tax payers and the Lok Satta Party have decided to organise agitation opposing the steep increase of property tax which would cause heavy burden to people.
According to them, the government allowed civic bodies to enhance property tax without considering the opinions of local people. They also demanded that the government scrap GO-117 which was issued to constitute a property tax board enabling the new body to revise the taxes as and when it wished to do so.
Lok Satta Party State secretary D.Vishnumurthy on Saturday alleged that the government's step would cause to above Rs.1,000 crore burden every year to tax payers. He alleged that the government had made several amendments to the existing laws to get 664 crore as grant from the 13th Finance Commission.
“There are many loopholes in the existing system enabling the civic body staff to indulge in malpractices. There is huge a variation in assessing the tax as officials and staff were given discretionary powers. The government can generate more revenue with the adoption of transparency in the existing structure. There is no need to constitute new board and revise the taxes,” he added. Representative of tax payers Baratam Kameswara Rao and Panchadi Papa Rao said the Government would face the repercussions if it increased the property tax without considering the public opinion.
