Guwahati: A Jorhat Municipal Board (JMB) ward commissioner belonging to the ruling BJP will stage a sit-in next week against his own party-run board in protest against the "arbitrary and steep hike" in the trade licence fee.
The sit-in decision, Ankur Gupta, commissioner of ward 6, told The Telegraph, was taken following the alleged indifference of the board top brass towards his persistent pleas to review the hike according to the laid down rules, a charge denied by JMB chairman Jayanta Borkakoty who has also ordered a review of the revised fee which came into effect on April 1.
"I have no other option but to continue protesting. I formally articulated my concern to the director, municipal administration, the deputy commissioner for a review after a month of the hike, after my in-house pleas were not heeded. I am not against the hike but it has to be reasonable and in accordance with the rules," Gupta said.
According to him, there has been three to 10-fold hike in the fees and without issuing a public notice, under section F of the Assam Municipal Board Act, 1956, three months before change in tax rate. Traders and shopkeepers, he said, came to know about it when they came for new licence or renewal of licence.
"I am there to serve the people. There are about 8,500 registered traders/shops but the number of unregistered will be more than double. A host of associations, including the Upper Assam Chamber of Commerce, have also protested the hike. Instead of a steep hike, efforts should have been made to get more traders into the system to boost the board's revenue," Gupta, whose ward covers the trading hub, said.
JMB chairman Borkakoty told The Telegraph that the hike was carried out every five years and it was done with the board's approval.
"I have ordered an overall review of the new fee structure but this has nothing to do with Gupta's stand We are and will address the genuine grievances of the trading community, and have already reduced fees in some trades," Borkakoty said. He said Gupta has wrongly interpreted the municipal bylaw. "We are dealing with fee here, not tax," Borkakoty said.
The developments have also attracted the attention of Hitendra Nath Goswami, the Jorhat's BJP MLA and Assam Assembly Speaker. "The chairman has told me that it was a board decision and not arbitrary. I have sought a detailed report from the board at the earliest," Goswami said.
BJP insiders are worried because these differences, if not resolved amicably, could eventually hurt the party. The 19-member JMB has 12 BJP and seven Congress members.
