Wait till 2020 for property tax rebate

This picture has been used for representational purpose

While the decision of waiving off property tax for up to 500 sq feet homes is awaiting an ordinance, the rebate of 15 per cent tax for zero garbage and sewerage management may not come into effect before the next financial year. Though the BMC got the standing committee's nod on Wednesday for the rebate, no study has been done on how to implement it. While the announcement regarding waiving off property tax was done before the Lok Sabha election, the state hasn't passed an ordinance to clear all the components of the bill.

BMC hasn't issued property tax bills to around 15 lakh houses under 500 sq feet, despite publishing a press note saying that they will only cut the general component of the property tax bill, which is only 10 to 30 per cent of the total tax. But after political pressure, BMC didn't issue any such bill. Along the same lines, the implementation of the 15 per cent rebate (5 per cent for segregation and zero waste, 5 per cent for 50 per cent reduction in dry waste and 5 per cent for sewer management) in the property tax remains unclear.

"There are many issues. First, BMC should know the amount of waste generated by each society. There are lakhs of societies and a study has to be done on the ground level," said a BMC officer. Though the departments concerned were not informed, a committee has been formed under the sewerage operation and solid waste management departments to study the implementation of the policy. However, the implementation will not happen before the next financial year.

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