Thane residents get 31% waiver on property tax for flats up to 500sqft
The State Government has given a waiver of 31% of the general tax in the property tax for flats up to an area of 500sqft in the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) limits. This waiver would impose a revenue burden of 40Cr to 45Cr on the TMC coffers.
The TMC general body had submitted a proposal to the State to waive off complete property tax for flats up to 500sqft. However, the State has only approved a waiver of 31% of the general tax.
Gajanan Godapure, deputy municipal commissioner, property tax, said, “As per the TMC tax system, every resident has to pay 92% of the total tax amount calculated under 12 different tax heads (categories). Out of this 92%, around 31% is general tax while the remaining include solid waste tax, tree tax, State Government cess and water tax among others. The State Government has given a waiver of this 31% general tax.”
The waiver will be implemented from April 2022. The corporation, however, claimed that the exact amount that would be reduced from its revenue due to the waiver is not calculated.
An officer from TMC said, “We generated approximately 5.65 lakh tax bills in the previous financial year. However, among these, there are many old properties that are not measured and tax is as per the rent amount in those years. We have asked all the ward officials to get these properties measured by the end of this month so that we will get an exact idea as to how much revenue will be reduced. As of now, our approximate estimation is around 40Cr to 45Cr.”
The opposition, however, claimed that this waiver was not as per the promise made by Shiv Sena during the previous elections. Niranjan Dawkhare, district BJP president and MLA, said, “The 31% tax waiver is a betrayal of Thane residents’ trust in the ruling party. They had promised 100% waiver in the last election manifesto. With mere 31%, they have cheated the residents.”
Ex-mayor, Naresh Mhaske, however, claimed that this would come as a major relief to the common man already stressed due to rising fuel and gas prices. “The common man is reeling under inflation and any amount of waiver will be a huge relief for the people. People in the slums can save Rs.1,000 while those in flats can save over Rs.6,000 with the waiver. The opposition should introspect what election promises they themselves have fulfilled.”
Source - www.hindustantimes.com
