Even
though the Bhopal Municipal Corporation annual budget, presented
yesterday has made a lot of provisions for carrying out development
works, yet the burden of taxes is so much that it would break
the back of the common people. The no-profit, no-loss budget
shows expenditure of Rs 90057.52 lakh as against income of
Rs 9058.16 lakh. There is provision to hike the water tax
from Rs 60 to Rs 180 along with cess on Narmada water. It
is quite possible that the tax rate may come down to Rs 100
per month. The corporation has imposed export tax on a number
of items like agriculture products, feed for milch animals,
beetleleaf, banana, orange, lemon, on vegetables, fruits,
soap, soda, detergents, shoes, slippers and leather. This
enhanced tax would further jack up prices of essential commodities.
Construction of houses would become even more costly. The
Corporation has proposed to levy Narmada water cess at different
rates according to square feet. The cess ranges from Rs 2
to Rs 25 per sq ft. In the same way, other areas have also
been brought under the tax net. By showing that a large sum
of the budget would take care of new development works, the
BMC has tried to justify hike and imposition of new taxes
on different items. Civic facilities in the city are far from
satisfactory. In many colonies garbage is never lifted. In
many colonies the sewer system has gone out of order and the
Corporation staff demand money from the local people in carrying
out works. Corruption is also rampant in the civic body. It
is time the working of the Corporation is streamlined and
the corporators take more interest in the development of their
wards. People should be taken into confidence and then they
would have no hesitation in paying extra tax to the civic
body. The Corporation's anti-encroachment squad should not
show leniency on willful violators. And at the same time the
Corporation should construct more hawkers corners so as to
avoid people setting up shops by the sides of the roads. Those
who are uprooted during the anti-encroachment drives should
be also rehabilitated at suitable places so that there is
no bitterness and simmering discontent among the affected
people.
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