Take it, or leave it! DC's 'tax' talk

Do you know for what you are paying tax? To inhale the air of Mysore, take a walk in the park, visit temples and tourist places in the city, according to deputy commissioner P S Vastrad. 

Believe it or not, when the deputy commissioner came with the reply, the petitioners were left bemused. 

The petitioners here were the office-bearers of SBM Layout Residents Welfare Association, who are apprehensive of the problems that would arise in the future.  

Led by their president P S Chinnaiah Prakash, the residents said despite paying property tax to Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), they are disowned by the authority when it comes to hearing their grievances. It was at that time, the deputy commissioner came out with the afore mentioned reply. The residents wanted the deputy commissioner, the supreme authority in the district to warn the SBM House Building Cooperative Society to create basic amenities in sync with the demand. According to the complainants, the layout that was once having 50 to 60 houses, is now occupied by double the number of dwellings. 

Borewell with only one point is the source of water still- both for domestic and other purposes like the houses under construction. 

Though an overhead water tank was constructed by the government on a CA site belonging to the locality, the water is supplied to Bogadi nearby. Chinnaiah Prakash alleged that according to the understanding reached between the government and the house building cooperative society, water from the tank was also to cater to the locality. Though the deputy commissioner ordered Bogadi gram panchayat to take steps to supply water to the locality, they are yet to pay heed to the order. 

Similarly, underground drainage works still remain to be completed and also many other basic infrastructural facilities. When asked, the chairman of the society passes the buck on MUDA to create the facilities when the residents are paying tax to the civic body.

Residents wail that they are caught in the middle of bureaurcatic hurdles. Eventually, the deputy commissioner assured them that he would direct MUDA to act. Earlier to this, he advised them to knock on the doors of consumer’s forum or file a criminal case at the police station.