Members of Andhra Pradesh Federation of Resident Welfare Association (APFERWAS), Visakhapatnam, have submitted a memorandum to the Mayor and corporators of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) council and urged them to immediately withdraw and cancel the draft notification released by the GVMC on June 3 regarding increase in property tax.
Federation representatives comprising president Uday Shirname, associate president K.S.R. Murthy and general secretary M. Durga Prasad met the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and other important floor leaders at their offices on Tuesday and expressed concern over the proposal ahead of the GVMC council meet, scheduled to be held on Wednesday. They said that the decision of levying property tax based on market value of the property rather than on the rental value, will impose a heavy burden on the common man. They also questioned why the decision was taken without discussing the proposal in the GVMC council meeting. This is totally an undemocratic way of functioning, they said.
The APFERWAS members said people have been facing financial problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also demanded that the GVMC officials completely abolish property tax for this year.