Congress-BJP battle over property tax hike escalates

The political battle between the Congress and the BJP over property tax has escalated with Deputy Mayor and Congress councillor Taruna Mehta resigning from the House Tax Committee in protest against the three-fold increase in the tax rates.

In a letter written to Dr Ramneek Singh Bedi, chairman of the committee, Mehta has stated that now, there is no justification in holding any more meetings of this committee when the property tax has already been increased three times.

She has asked why the matter was not discussed in the committee before the Mayor brought the agenda in the House. By not bringing this agenda before the committee

and later rejecting it in the House meeting, the BJP legally cleared the way for the Administration to impose the tax as per its own will.

She alleged the property tax had been increased threefold with the connivance of the Mayor, the BJP councillors and senior officials of the Administration.

Given resentment among the residents over the steep tax hike, the BJP councillors are shedding crocodile tears and offering to resign.

The powerless Mayor and the BJP councillors threatening to resign in front of the Administration proves that the officials under the BJP government at the Centre do not listen to the party.

Mehta said the Administration itself had to clear property tax dues running into crores. The city Congress will continue to raise its voice against this anti-people decision, she added.

Chandigarh