Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens’ Forum convenor Ch. Babu Rao said that the Central and State governments imposed a burden of over 50% hike in taxes in the past three years and it is going to become 100% in five years.
He said that the APUCF will prepare a year-long action plan to mount pressure on the government to bring down the burden of taxes on 1.5 crore people living in the State’s urban areas.
Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Saturday along with forum member Y. Venkateswara Rao and others, Mr. Babu Rao, who is also CPI(M) State secretariat member, said that following the Centre’s direction, the YSRCP government has changed the taxation system from rental value basis (ARV) to capital value (CV) system and there was 15% hike in taxes due to it in the first year in urban areas. Later, it increased by 32% and in the coming fiscal year it will increase further causing a huge burden to the taxpayers, he added.
“In addition to property tax, the government is collecting water tax, waste collection charges and others. The governments should withdraw these additional taxes which are against the law,” he said. He said so far ₹1,995 crore property tax has been collected in the State against ₹1,412 crore collected last year. This indicates the increased burden of ₹583 crore on the taxpayers, he said. The government also collected ₹112 crore towards waste collection charges and ₹1,005 crore against other taxes, he said.
Mr. Babu Rao said that APCUF will run campaigns at ground level to protest the government’s practices that are leading to financial burden on the public.
