BJP MLAs oppose double penalty

Bengaluru: A delegation of BJP leaders, including four MLAs submitted a memorandum to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), opposing the double penalty and interest levied on owners who have defaulted payment of property taxes.

They pointed out that there is no provision in the law to penalise retrospectively and warned of city-wide protest if the BBMP continues to harass citizens. 

Among the leaders, who submitted a petition to BBMP’s chief commissioner Tushar Girinath, are MLAs Byrathi Basavaraj, SR Vishwanath, C K Ramamurthy and S Muniraju. 

In a three-page letter which was signed by all BJP MLAs from Bengaluru, they termed the BBMP’s drive to collect property tax arrears as an extortion racket. “In the name of recovering property tax arrears, the BBMP has waged a war against the citizens. BBMP is imposing double penalty and interest by finding faults in the self assessment scheme. There is no provision in the law to charge penalties retrospectively,” the letter states. 

The letter mentioned that the BBMP has issued notices to 76,000 property owners and has also locked shops and buildings, thereby destroying the livelihood of people.

Instead of “harassing” the citizens, they urged the BBMP to increase the property tax collection by bringing over six lakh properties that are left out in the tax net. 

Among the demands put forth by the BJP leaders are: Withdrawal of notices issued to property tax defaulters, extension of time to pay from 30 days to 90 days.