MHADA, CIDCO PLOT SOCIETIES GET ADDITIONAL NA TAX WAIVER
MUMBAI: In a major relief to residents of societies on Mhada and Cidco plots, the state government has decided to waive off additional non-agricultural (NA) tax charged on housing societies situated on big plots. Now all societies will have to pay equal amount of NA tax irrespective of the size of the plot. The decision, taken in the state cabinet meeting, will bring respite majorly to Navi Mumbai residents where Cidco has developed a number of large residential townships.
On Tuesday, the state government decided to amend the Maharashtra Increase of Land Revenue and Special Assessment Act, 1974 that allows the levying of additional NA tax on plots of 8 hectares and above.
The NA tax is charged annually under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (MLRC) in areas, which were recognised as agricultural zones, but are used for non-farming activities. It is levied over and above the property tax. It is determined based on many components such as the area where the plot falls and land use and thus varies from place to place. For plots admeasuring eight hectares and above, the state government was charging 50% additional NA tax while plots admeasuring 12 hectares and above were charged 100% additional tax. .
Officials said the decision was taken following demands from the ruling BJP legislators. They were of the view that Mhada and Cidco, despite being owners of the property, make the residents pay NA tax by dividing the amount among them equally.
Thus, the residents were pressurizing them to bring the amendment. The state will have to a face estimated loss of Rs15 crore per annum. MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Cyber Digital Crime Unit (MCDCU) recently shut down 32 websites that illegally streamed live cricket matches, Bollywood and Hollywood movies as well as television content.
The MCDCU officers said that they tracking 14 websites that live-streamed the India-australia Test and One-day International (ODIS) series for the past one month, after they received a complaint from the official broadcaster, Sony Pictures Network. The pirated version got 29.6 million hits on these websites.
The agency also brought down five music and 13 Bollywood movie websites streaming newly-released movies such as Kedarnath, Zero, 2.0, Thugs of Hindustan, Simmba and Accidental Prime Minister illegally.
“For the past one year, we have been tracking various websites ,” said Balsingh Rajput, superintendent of police (cyber), Maharashtra.
The MCDCU is a first-of-its kind in South and East Asia. It formed the digital anti-piracy unit last year. Officers said these sites used to get 186 million hits, leading to huge losses to the media industry. In December, the MCDCU issued notices to domain registrar of these websites under section 149 (preventing cognisable offences) of Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), following which they suspended operations of the sites. Since December, the MCDCU has brought down more than 235 websites.
“The entertainment industry generates employment to around 20 lakh people. It earns a gross income of around ₹2 lakh crore annually, of which the government is paid ₹96,000 crore as direct or indirect taxes,” said an officer from MCDCU.