JOIN USBBMP’s joint commissioner (east zone) committed an error in offering a tax rebate to commercial establishments and will be sent back to his home department, commissioner B H Anil Kumar has said.
The BBMP council meeting had a serious discussion on property tax rebate, besides the usual issues like garbage clearance and pending works in the wards.
During the meeting, Kumar told corporators that there had been a dereliction of duty on the part of joint commissioner (east zone) G M Ravindra in granting rebate on property tax to eight commercial establishments.
In the previous meeting, BJP corporator Padmanabha Reddy had accused Ravindra of violating rules in offering tax rebates to eight highly commercial establishments. Kumar had said the matter will be verified and action will be taken in case of irregularities.
"The files of the said matter have shown that Ravindra's decision was wrong," Kumar said on Friday. "Action will be taken against him and he will be sent back to his home department (cooperation department). Meanwhile, the fixed property tax amount will be collected from the eight properties."
He also said the self-assessment scheme should be made stringent and the civic body should form a committee of councillors and officials to draft the rules. "We have to see if similar violations have taken place in other zones too," Kumar said.
Marshals pulled up
Meanwhile, former mayor B S Sathyanarayana has accused marshals who were appointed to prevent throwing garbage in the city of failing in their duties.
"Marshals were appointed on a pilot basis during mayor Padmavathi's tenure. Now, the government has appointed them by paying Rs 8.5 crore a year. Marshals are supposed to prevent the formation of garbage blackspots and waste dumping, but no marshals work during the night hours," he said.
D Randeep, additional commissioner, solid waste management (SWM), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike replied by saying marshals are working in limited areas under instructions and they are asked to prevent blackspots.