CHANDIGARH: With the rejection of the official agenda on proposed property tax hike in the MC house, the ball is now in Chandigarh administration‘s court which has special powers to increase or decrease property tax rates.
“As UT administration, through the secretary of local bodies, carries special powers to issue notifications regarding the increase or decrease in taxes, cess and charges pertaining to the municipal corporation, the matter will go for its consideration now. As the MC commissioner has also given his dissent note against the house decision, it lays a strong ground for the UT to take a call on whether to increase the property tax in the wake of the current financial status of the MC or not,” officials in Chandigarh administration said on the condition of anonimity.
In the past, there were several instances where the Chandigarh administration turned down the MC’s plea and passed its own order by reversing the MC’s approval. Last year, the members of the general house, with a majority, passed a resolution to give 20,000 litres of free water and free parking facilities to commuters, which was completely rejected by the UT administration. Afterwards, the UT finalised a new parking rate.
AAP councillor Yogesh Dhingra said, “The mayor approved the agenda to place it before the meeting, which clearly shows that the mayor and BJP had a plan to increase the property tax exorbitantly. As the meeting started, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla first said she rejected the agenda, but later the agenda came up for discussion with her approval. By getting it rejected from the house, both the mayor and BJP wanted to impose the property tax on residents of Chandigarh by routing it through the Chandigarh administration. People of the city will teach a lesson to the BJP for cheating and backstabbing.”
Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh said, “If the mayor seriously wanted not to increase the tax, why did she bring the agenda for discussion by giving her approval? This shows the dual face of the mayor and BJP, and everything has been done with proper planning. They know that by getting the agenda rejected in the house, it will be sent to the UT administration, which will approve it, following which people will be severely burdened with a property tax hike. Therefore, the BJP and mayor are giving a backdoor entry to proposal to hike property tax.”
Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla said, “I have already told everyone that I am not in favour of increasing property tax.”
