Opposition corporators feel property tax waiver is misleading

Opposition corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have demanded to know the details of the State government’s property tax waiver for houses up to 500 square feet. Raising the issue at the standing committee meeting on Wednesday, they alleged that the waiver is only for a small component of the property tax while other components still need to be paid. The Shiv Sena had promised in its manifesto that houses up to 500 square feet in Mumbai would not be levied property tax. The Sena-led BMC’s general assembly had even passed a resolution to this effect. The resolution was approved by the State government earlier this year. A government resolution (GR) was also released soon after. Congress corporator Asif Zakaria claimed that the GR only mentions that a general tax has been waived. He said the general tax is a minute component whereas the rest of the property tax is still payable. According to him, every property is assessed based on various factors but the general tax makes up only 10%-20% of the property tax amount. “If you were paying ?1,000 as property tax, the entire amount would not be waived. Only about ?100-?200 will be waived. That is not what was promised.” Mr.Zakaria has already written to the municipal commissioner in this regard.