Extend deadline for property tax: BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, MAY 30. Clarifying its position on the Self-Assessment Scheme (SAS), the BJP, which is the Opposition in the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Council, demanded extension of the deadline for payment of property tax under the scheme by a few months.

Mr. Gangabairaiah, Leader of the Opposition, told the Council at its monthly meeting on Tuesday that the BJP had never opposed the scheme in toto but had only opposed certain lapses in the classification of areas. These lapses should rectified as they would cause hardship to the poor and give "undue benefits" to the rich.

For instance, Sheshadri Road, IAS and IPS Colony in BTM Layout and Sadashivanagar were classified as "F" category under which Vyalikaval Slum, Agrahara Dasarahalli and Marenahalli Tank Bund were included. Besides, each building was assessed based on the cost of construction and was not given any depreciation.

He said the literate and semi-literate property owners would find it difficult to comprehend the SAS. A large number of people were put to hardship as the last date for payment of property tax coincided with that of the commencement of the academic year and they had to pay the school or college fees of their children. Keeping this in view, the BMP should extend the deadline by a few months.

Supporting him, Ms. Padmavathi (Janata Dal-S) and others suggested that an expert committee be formed to rectify certain lapses in the scheme. It was impossible to bring all the 1.5 lakh properties in the new wards under the SAS as the BMP was yet to collect betterment taxes and issue khatas to them before the stipulated date. Therefore, the BMP should extend the last date for paying property taxes.

Illegal structure: The BMP adopted a unanimous resolution to urge the Chief Minister not to give permission for any structure in the vicinity of the Thippagondanahalli reservoir and stop the construction of the Infant Jesus Medical College and other buildings in the area. Cutting across party lines, Mr. J.Huchhappa, former Mayor, Mr. Ganesh, Mr. G.Satyanarayana, Mr. Venkatesha Murthy, Ms. Padmavathi Gangadhara Gowda and others demanded that illegal structures be demolished. The land in which the medical college was coming up belonged to the BWSSB and it had not given permission for any construction.

Allowing any structure to come up in the vicinity of the Thippagondanahalli reservoir would have serious consequences for the City. They alleged that the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority had been inactive and had been reluctant to demolish illegal structures.

Responding to questions from members, a senior official of the BWSSB said: "We do not know who issued permission for these structures. In the context of the DLF, we had written to the Government seeking to withdraw permission for construction activities. Even now, we have protested against construction and sought the Government's cooperation in protecting the reservoir. We urge the Government to take steps in this direction," he said.

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