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Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Protest vs protest: GMC staff, councillors lock horns in property tax tussle
Ghaziabad: A fresh protest has erupted at the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) headquarters, this time by GMC employees, countering a sit-in by councillors opposing the recent property tax hike. Councillors have been staging a sit-in protest since Friday, which continued into Saturday. At the core of the conflict are the minutes of the June 30 GMC board meeting, in which the board repealed the proposed property tax hike. Employees said the councillors' demand for board meeting minutes will be met after the kanwar yatra ends. But the councillors accused officials of orchestrating the counter-protest to undermine their agitation. They also questioned the legitimacy of the employees' protest, calling it a diversionary tactic in the ongoing dispute over tax policy and transparency. You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida Councillor Neeraj Goyal said, "We suspect foul play. For the past 17 days, GMC officials have been deliberately holding back the minutes of the meeting under various pretexts, while at the same time sending tax notices to residents based on the hiked rates. As elected representatives, we are answerable to our voters, and GMC officials are operating as an extra-constitutional authority." Another councillor, Manoj Goyal, alleged GMC officials were behind the employees' protest. "The issue of property tax and the minutes of the GMC board meeting do not pertain to them, and yet they are protesting ostensibly at the behest of officials. The officials are public servants, while we are public representatives, and our authority and rights are being undermined," Goyal added. Mohan Chauhan, a GMC employee, said, "The councillors are disrupting GMC's daily operations at a time when the kanwar yatra is going on. As for their demand, the municipal commissioner has assured them the minutes will be shared after the yatra concludes, and yet they are protesting." Meanwhile, a GMC official said, "A case has been filed in the Allahabad HC against GMC's decision to impose an increased property tax, and even though the GMC board repealed the proposal, the matter is still pending in the court, and we are awaiting the court's final orders." The hiked property tax came into effect on April 1. The property tax rates before April 1 were between Rs 0.32/sq foot on properties with less than 12m of road width, Rs 0.48 to Rs 2 for roads 12–24 metres wide, and Rs 0.65 to Rs 2.41 for wider roads. The revised rate is between Rs 0.75/sq foot to Rs 4/sq foot. In March this year, the board passed the proposal to link tax with the DM circle rate. GMC calculates tax based on the annual rental value (ARV) of a property.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Property tax notices issued despite GMC repeal, councillors stage protest
Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) councillors on Friday staged a sit-in protest at the corporation's head office in Navyug Market over hiked property tax notices to residents, even though the "board repealed the proposal". The hiked property tax came into effect on April 1. GMC officials, meanwhile, said the process of issuing notices is "system-generated". "If anyone has deposited a hiked property tax, it will be adjusted to older tax slabs," the GMC officials said. But the protesters are not convinced. Councillor Manoj Goyal said, "The GMC board, which met on June 30, unanimously called for bringing the existing property tax — which was applicable before April — and the board passed the proposal, which meant GMC would not collect hiked property tax and would not issue notices to residents. However, the corporation has been issuing notices, which is a violation of the municipal act." You Can Also Check: Noida AQI | Weather in Noida | Bank Holidays in Noida | Public Holidays in Noida Protesters said they have been demanding minutes of the board meeting from officials whom they met on "at least three occasions" and each time they were denied. Councillor Neeraj Goyal said, "As a rule, we have the right to the minutes of the meeting and we are demanding whether the board's proposal has been complied with or not. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Compare Spreads: Bitcoin vs Ethereum CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo There is something missing due to which the officials are not sharing details. Every mayor has asked residents not to deposit property tax at hiked rates, but even then, notices are being issued, which undermines the very office of elected representatives. " Meanwhile, GMC officials said there is another issue involved — a case has been filed in Allahabad high court against GMC's decision to impose an increased property tax and the court's decision is pending. "We are awaiting the court's decision and only after that can the system-generated billing system be updated as per old tax slab rates," a GMC official said. The property tax rates before April 1 were between Rs 0.32/sq foot on properties with less than 12m of road width, Rs 0.48 to Rs 2 for roads 12–24 metres wide and Rs 0.65 to Rs 2.41 for wider roads. The revised rate is between Rs 0.75/sq foot to Rs 4/sq foot. In March, the board passed the proposal to link tax with the DM circle rate. GMC calculates tax based on the annual rental value (ARV) of a property.
