CMC tax payers can avail rebate next year

The facility is for those who have paid 30 per cent tax in advance

The property tax payers in the jurisdiction of Madikeri City Municipal Council who have already paid 30 per cent property tax under the self-assessment scheme (SAS) for the current financial year, can avail the rebate in payment of tax next year, said CMC Commissioner Pushapavathi.

She was replying to a question raised by a Council member at the monthly general body meeting of the CMC at Council hall in the city on Monday.

Though the decision to hike the property tax from 15 per cent to 30 per cent was withdrawn in the last meeting and it was decided to fix the property tax at 15 per cent, some of the citizens have already paid the 30 per cent tax in advance.

There seems to be no awareness among the people about the tax amount, due to which many of them have not paid the tax yet. Therefore, the CMC has to clarify on the property tax collection, demanded Councillor P D Ponnappa.

In reply, the Commissioner said that the CMC was collecting 15 per cent property tax from the citizens from June 1. Those who have already paid 30 per cent will get an opportunity to avail 15 per cent rebate in the payment of tax next year, she clarified.

The issue of meat stalls came to the fore in the meeting, leading to heated arguments between BJP and Congress - SDPI members. The BJP members questioned about the authenticity of the temporary meat stalls establishes in the city market.

In reply, the Congress and SDPI members said that temporary meat stalls have come up as the old building was demolished by the CMC with an intention to build a new complex. They may be allowed to operate in temporary stalls by imposing an additional 10 per cent rent, the members suggested.

Taking exception to this, the BJP councillors demanded to call for the tender as per the prescribed rules and allow the highest bidder to operate. Amidst the BJP’s opposition, the Council passed a resolution to allow the meat merchants to continue in the temporary stalls by collecting an extra 10 per cent rent.

Tiff over resolution

The BJP councillors had yet another issue to brood over in the meeting. They came down on the CMC president and the commissioner for amending the resolutions passed in the last meeting and adding new resolutions that were not discussed in the previous meeting. Member T P Prakash alleged that the discussions that were taken place in the last meeting were completely twisted in the meeting’s agenda.

He demanded for video shooting of the meeting to maintain fairness.

SDPI councillor Amin Mohisin supported the issue, and said that though he had raised the issue of theft of construction materials in front of post office in the last meeting, it was not mentioned in the new agenda.

Congress Councillor H M Nandakumar intervened and suggested the president to look into the issues raised by the members and address them in the next meeting.
CMC President Zuleka B presided over the meeting.