Mumbai: BJP MLA Ashish Shelar in a press release has demanded to waive property tax of the citizens from the promised date, i.e. since last four years.
The press release reads as, not only from now but waive property tax on residential units of up to 500 sq. feet from the promised date itself, demanded BJP leader MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar. Now that their ‘political seat’ is at stake, Shiv Sena is reminded of ‘Mumbaikars’ and the burden of ‘kar’ (taxes) faced by them.
The government has announced a property tax waiver for houses up to 500 square feet in Mumbai. Reacting to this, MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar questioned why was this decision delayed for so long. Why no decision was taken since the last four years. Hence, not just from now, but return the tax paid by Mumbaikars over the last four years. MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar demanded that the tax must be waived off from the date it was promised.
He further said that barring the extremely rich in Mumbai, the middle class who owns residential units of more than 500 sq. feet must be given an exemption on tax up to 500 sq. feet. This means that all the middle class Mumbaikars whose houses are either 600, 650 or 700 square feet must be exempted from tax up to 500 square feet and the area above that must only be taxed. Also will shopkeepers with 500 sq. feet area get a similar exemption, he questioned. Small businesses like flowers and vegetable vendors, hair salons and fruit vendors must also get an exemption in property tax up to 500 sq. feet of their stall/ establishment area, demanded MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar.
MLA Adv. Ashish Shelar further said that despite a crunch in the government coffers, the state government gave a rebate of Rs 11,000 crore in premium levied on builders, gave discounts on licence fees payable by bars, pubs and restaurants, gave a 50 per cent exemption on foreign liquor and also granted concession to wineries. Then what took so long to initiate this decision in favour of Mumbaikars. Now when their seat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is at stake, are they reminded of Mumbaikars and the burden of ‘kar’ (read taxes) that Mumbaikars are reeling under, he questioned.
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