Vijayawada: APUCF decries unjust property tax, penalties

Vijayawada (NTR district) : Andhra Pradesh Urban Citizens Federation (APUCF) took strong exception to the extraordinary hike in the property tax in the municipalities across the State and alleged that both the Centre and State governments are colluded to exploit the house owners.

APUCF State convener Chigurupati Babu Rao addressing the media here on Thursday deplored the 15 per cent hike in the property tax though it was enhanced for the last two years by 15 per cent. The property tax had already gone up by 50 per cent in the last three years and it would be 100 per cent in the next two years. Likewise, it would be 200 per cent in the next five years and 600 per cent in the next 11 years.

Babu Rao said that that the house owners would be compelled to sell their houses to pay taxes. "The administrations of Modi and Jagan Mohan Reddy came to power giving assurance to the people that they would build houses for them. But both the government are punishing the house owners for having their own houses."

He questioned the rationality of imposing 24 per cent penalty in less than two months during the present financial year on the pretext of delay in tax payment. 'The citizens should be given chance to pay tax without any penalty within the first half of the financial year. It is nothing but cheating to announce five percent rebate after enhancing the tax by 15 per cent.'

The APUCF leader criticised that the State government had imposed an unjust tax on garbage, which is unprecedented. 'The officials are fixing water meters to residential houses in the name of Amrit scheme. They are collecting underground drainage tax by counting the number of toilets in the house. The government is revising the value of the property every year and enhancing the tax on the enhanced value. Several state governments refused to impose the property tax based on the value,' he recalled.

Babu Rao demanded stopping of the enhanced taxes, abolish garbage tax and not to fix water metres. He also demanded the government to provide opportunity to pay taxes in two installments.

He appealed to the citizens associations, colony associations and trading communities to join the agitation against the property tax based on value. APUCF will undertake submission of petitions to the government across the State.