Unauthorised building penalty by GVMC draws flak
The collection of revised property tax, garbage collection charges and UCP through various dubious ways from all sections of residents by GVMC has drawn flak from various quarters.
Visakhapatnam: The collection of revised property tax, garbage collection charges and unauthorised construction penalty (UCP) through various dubious ways from all sections of residents by Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has drawn flak from various quarters.
Social and right activists as well as residents' welfare associations have strongly opposed exploring various options by GVMC authorities to increase its revenue. "We strongly oppose the announcement by GVMC through public address systems that they will dump garbage in front of the properties of defaulters and disconnect drinking water supply if they fail to pay the dues immediately," B.B. Ganesh, general secretary of Visakhapatnam Apartment Residents Welfare Association (VARWA), told Bizz Buzz on Thursday.
The Municipal Corporation Act, 1955 has been amended bringing the capital value based property tax in place of the annual rental based house tax. The GVMC Council in its meeting held on August 7, 2021passsed a resolution to collect a property tax of 0.12 per cent of the capital value on the residential buildings, 0.30 per cent of capital value of non-residential buildings and 0.50 per cent capital value on the vacant lands. Many have strongly opposed the new tax system demanding restoration of the old system.
"At a time when people are badly hit due to inflationary trends and long spell of Covid-19 pandemic, burdening them with heavy property tax and garbage collection charges is totally uncalled for," CPI (M) corporation B. Ganga Rao, said.
In a memorandum to GVMC, Ganesh and Greater Visakha Resident Colony Federation (NIVAS) general secretary Pitta Narayana Murthy said certain rules were framed for implementation of the Unauthorised Construction Penalty (UCP).
