Property owners on Tuesday vehemently opposed the holding tax revision, doubled from April 1 after almost 20 years.
Terming the hike arbitrary, the residents said the laggard civic body should first provide services and then revise taxes. They also sought to know the new facilities the corporation would introduce after the tax revision. A few questioned the quantum of the hike as well.
The public fury against the revision of the holding tax — paid by the property owners to the civic body in lieu of its services — came to the fore on Tuesday at a convention of Nagrik Sangharsh Samiti, a citizens’ forum. Weary of losing their support base, several councillors, including former deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu, turned up at the event and spoke in favour of the residents.
The Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) board gave its nod to double the holding tax in October last year. The PMC issued a public notice on March 30 this year, stating April 1 as the effective date for the implementation of the new rates.
The corporation’s move drew flak from the residents primarily because of its poor services. Vinod Kumar (64), a retired government official, asked: “How can the PMC justify its decision of doubling the tax when it is not providing us the basic services? I live in the Bajrangpur area (near Gai Ghat). The civic body does not supply water in my locality. Streetlights and hand-pumps are also missing. I have been paying the holding tax for years but I don’t know for what services. Now that I will have to pay double the amount, I want to know what kind of special services would the civic body provide us?”
Abdul Mannan, a retired employee of Magadh Mahila College and a resident of Shahganj, said: “The civic body should first provide services and then demand taxes. Why can’t the PMC tax the state government departments putting up hoardings at public places? That way, the PMC will earn a lot but it does not have the guts to do so. It is only harassing common people by increasing the holding tax.”
Rameshwar Prasad, a businessman, is not completely against the holding tax hike. But its quantum of increase bugged him.
“The PMC might have increased the holding tax to provide citizens better services but I cannot understand why it has been doubled. The hike should have been 10-20 per cent. The civic body cannot increase its service charges by this extent when no one is happy with its services,” said Prasad, claiming that that the residents of the Arya Kumar Road area, including him, were devoid of basic facility like drinking water supply.
Terming the holding tax hike undemocratic, Pappu, the former deputy mayor and the councillor of ward number 28, said: “As many as 37 out of 72 ward councillors had jointly submitted an application to the PMC commissioner in this regard but our opinion was not taken into consideration.”
Sanjay Singh, the councillor of ward number 1, said: “The PMC members’ opinions are sought before taking any decision. Voting is conducted on important issues but nothing as such happened before taking this decision?”
Mayor Azal Imam justified the hike in holding tax, claiming that the revision was done after 20 years.
“Even after the revision, the holding tax rates of the PMC are much lower than the national average. The PMC has been providing civic services to the best of its abilities and would continue to do so. Those not paying holding taxes would be liable to punitive action as mandated by Bihar Municipal Act,” he said.
