The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the suspension of non-agricultural tax notices issued to societies in suburban Mumbai. Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat said a committee would be set up to study and suggest rules and regulations in this regard.
The move is significant in view of the coming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls- suburban Mumbai holds the key to victory in the civic polls.
BJP MLA Ashish Shelar had moved a calling attention motion in the Assembly, raising the issue. He said the tax notices issued to over 60,000 residents was unjust.
“When buildings, chawls or other residential structures were being built in suburban Mumbai, the developers had paid the non-agricultural tax. Even after that, they are served these tax notices. Despite the earlier government following it up at various levels, such notices are served, time and again. Why are the officials from the revenue department doing this now,” he asked while presenting to the Assembly the notices issued to three big societies from his Bandra West Assembly constituency, namely the Saraswat Housing Society, St. Sebastian Society and the Salsette Society.
Following Mr. Shelar, Shiv Sena MLA Ravindra Waikar, Congress MLA Amin Patel and several other BJP MLAs too demanded a rollback of the decision.
“These notices have been issued at a rate of nearly 1,500 per cent higher than the previous rates, which is exorbitant. While on one hand, people are reeling under economic crisis owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government, on the other hand, is levying huge taxes, thus burdening people,” Mr Shelar said.
‘Unjust tax’
Mr. Waikar termed it an unjust tax that needed to be quashed immediately. Several MLAs pointed out that it was not levied on societies in Mumbai city but only on constructions in the suburbs. They stated that it was unjustified that two different rules were being applied for one city.
Both BJP and Sena MLAs pointed out that they had met Mr Thorat against imposing any such tax.
Mr. Thorat informed the Assembly that the present government was merely implementing the law approved by the previous BJP-led government. Sena MLA Ravindra Waikar said the government could stop the process as it was illegal to recollect tax that had been collected at the time of construction.
The Minister said a detailed discussion on the issue had been scheduled in the Assembly but going by the strong reactions of all-party MLAs on this issue, he was suspending all proceedings on the said issue. “All such notices will be stayed and no further action will be taken,” he noted.
