Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live

PROPERTY TAX TO NOT INCREASE AGAIN FOR THIRD CONSECUTIV­E YR

- Yogesh Naik

MUMBAI: Ahead of the Mumbai civic polls, the Maharashtr­a cabinet chaired by chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday decided to not increase the property tax in Mumbai. It is the third consecutiv­e year that the state government has taken such a decision.

The previous Maharashtr­a Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had decided to waive off property tax for houses up to 500 square feet area. It has also not increased the property tax for bigger residences for the past two years.

A release by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that the cabinet decided not to increase property tax rates in Mumbai due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. An amendment was made in Section 154 (1D) of the Brihanmumb­ai Municipal Corporatio­n (BMC) Act for this purpose.

The ruling Balasaheba­nchi Shiv Sena-BJP alliance aims to win the Mumbai civic body which was ruled by the Shiv Sena for the past 25 years. The decision on Thursday is seen as an attempt by the ruling alliance to woo the voters in Mumbai. The civic polls are expected early next year.

Before facing the 2017 BMC polls, Uddhav Thackeray had promised that property tax for all houses up to 500 square feet would be waived. This poll promise was made effective this year. Property tax is levied by BMC for providing basic infrastruc­ture and constitute­s a major source of income.

A government official said that many small and big businesses, educationa­l institutio­ns, etc were hit due to the lockdown imposed and many elected representa­tives and property owners had given representa­tions to waive property tax or give discounts.

BMC REVISES PROPERTY TAX EVERY 5 YEARS AND THE LAST REVISION BASED ON CAPITAL VALUE TOOK PLACE IN 2015.

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