Members of several NGOs demonstrate against the tax hike on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Jan. 5: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) today ruled out a review of the proposed hikes in property tax rates but decided to convene a public meeting on January 9 to explain its position.

The GMC arrived at the decision after a marathon meeting of its governing body members for nearly six hours.

The Opposition accepted the explanation given by the authorities on the proposed hikes at the meeting chaired by mayor Kushal Sarmah.

Prabhat Das, an Opposition councillor, said most of the councillors were ignorant about the rationale behind the hike.

Most residents and organisations have also claimed that the increase was unprecedented and unjustified.

The decision to rule out a review has come as a shock to Guwahatians. This morning, hundreds of residents, led by Save Guwahati Build Guwahati and Uzan Bazar Nagarik Committee, marched to the GMC office seeking the withdrawal of the proposed taxes.

While they voiced support for a reasonable hike in property taxes, they had demanded complete withdrawal of water metre taxes, which they said was without basis.

The protesters, comprising Save Guwahati Build Guwahati?s Dhiren Barauah, former umpires Surenram Phookan and Kailash Sarma, submitted a memorandum to the mayor, who had promised a re-look into the enhanced rates.

Das said the GMC would invite senior citizens, development committees and student organisations for a meeting on January 9, the venue and time of which will be decided in the next couple of days, to explain its position.

Sources said the hike was necessitated to make the tax system uniform.

?Two rates are being charge now. Some people are still paying the rates applicable in 1997 while others are paying rates which were introduced after valuation of land were hiked in 2001. Now we want a uniform rate for all. All this talk of 300 per cent rise is an unfounded, and a misconception,? a ruling party councillor said.

Another councillor said the meeting would also seek the review of hike in water taxes. ?We will first introduce the metering system on an experimental system and see the result before arriving at any final solution,? he added.