Oppn decries move to hike property tax; Parties, civil society warn of agitations

Kakinada: There is a vehement opposition to the proposed new system of levying property tax based on the value of property in the municipalities of both Godavari districts.

Many individuals as well as organisations, who are strongly opposed to the proposal, are gearing up for agitations, contending that it will place a great burden on the citizens.

Some municipalities have already issued notifications, seeking objections from the citizens to the new tax system.

The Rate Payers Association has submitted a representation to Kakinada Municipal Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, raising its objections on the new system of taxes. Its secretary P. Raghu Ramarao said that levying the property tax on the asset value is not proper and the government should continue ‘levying the tax on the basis of rent.’

Though the government says that there is only 15 per cent of hike in the first year, it will become more burden to the property tax owners and the tenants in future. He said the people are already suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic and their financial sources have been squeezed. It is not proper to levy taxes on properties, garbage collections and others.

Kakinada Municipal Corporation Mayor Sunkari Pavani said the council has accepted the new levy system of property tax with a majority of the councillors in favour of it. But, as a TD parliamentary district women wing president, she was opposing the system as the people can’t bear such huge taxes. She said the TD had already launched an agitation against the system.

The Kakinada Poura Samkshema Sangham, too, has started spreading awareness among the people on the disadvantages of the new property tax system and called upon the people to raise their objections to their respective municipalities and municipal corporations in writing.

Sangam convener Dusarlapudi Ramana Raju and the CPM city secretary Ch. Ajay Kumar said that the people of Kakinada were opposing the new proposal tooth and nail. CPM Rajamahendravaram parliamentary district secretary T. Arun said the centre had given instructions to the state governments that the urban local bodies should mobilise their own financial sources and recommended levying tax on the basis of property value and building value. If the system is implemented, the property owners would sell their properties after a few years as every year the tax would go up to 15 per cent on the property value. The CPM already started agitations against it.

CITU Kakinada Secretary P. Veerababu said that a massive agitation was planned on July 5, opposing the property tax policy.

Bharatiya Janata Party is also strongly opposing the taxation system. BJP Kakinada parliamentary district president C. Ramkumar said that already they took up the issue. However, he condemned the charges that the Centre had recommended the new system. Meanwhile, BJP state secretary Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma submitted a representation to the Bhimavaram municipal officials, opposing the system.