Mumbai: Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, in the Assembly on Tuesday, announced the suspension of non-agricultural tax notices issued to residents of suburban Mumbai. He said that a committee will be set up for changing the rules and regulations in this regard permanently.
In the Assembly, BJP MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar moved a calling attention motion and raised the issue of non-agricultural tax notices issued to the residents in suburban Mumbai. MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar pointed out that the non-agricultural tax notices issued to over 60,000 residents in suburban Mumbai is unjust. When buildings, chawls or other residential structures were being built in suburban Mumbai, the developers had paid the non-agricultural tax. Even after that, they are served these tax notices. Despite the earlier government following it up at various levels, such notices are served, time and again. Why are the officials from this department doing this, questioned MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar while presenting to the Assembly, the notices issued to three big societies from Bandra West Assembly constituency like Saraswat Housing Society, St. Sebastian Society and Salsette Society.
These notices have been issued at a rate of nearly 1,500 per cent higher than the previous rates, which is exorbitant. While on one hand people are reeling under economic crisis owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the government, on the other hand, is levying huge taxes, thus burdening the people. Also, this tax is not levied on societies in Mumbai city but only on constructions in the suburban Mumbai. How can there be two different rules for one city, he questioned.
And hence the government must immediately suspend these notices and also abolish this tax permanently, demanded MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar. While all party MLAs supported this demand, BJP MLAs Yogesh Sagar, Atul Bhatkalkar, Adv. Parag Alavni, Vidya Thakur, Manisha Chaudhary and Bharati Lavekar also took an aggressive stance and demanded immediate suspension of these notices.
If the government had collected this non-agricultural tax at the time of construction, then why is this tax being collected again and again? They tried to corner the government by asking that if this tax is not levied in Mumbai city, then why it is levied in suburban Mumbai. The revenue minister, therefore declared that these notices will be suspended. He also said that a committee will be set up to amend the law and to resolve the issue on a permanent basis. This decision was welcomed by BJP MLAs.
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