10% hike in property tax proposed in Thane civic body's budget

Thane Municipal Commissioner (TMC) Sanjeev Jaiswal today presented the annual budget of the civic body to the standing committee and proposed a 10 per cent hike in property taxes for both residential and non-residential purpose.
Presenting the Rs 2549.82 crore budget for 2016-17, which includes Rs 230.10 crore surplus carried forward from the previous year, Jaiswal said there has not been any hike in the property tax since long.
"If the (property tax) hike is implemented, it will help the civic body to garner additional Rs 31 crore. Other taxes and cess has been untouched," he said.
The hike in the property tax is proposed from current 26 to 36 per cent for residential purpose to 48.50 per cent for non-residential purpose from the current 38.50 per cent.

The meeting was chaired by TMC standing committee chairman Naresh Mhaske.
He said the civic body is expected to earn Rs 700 crore from Local Body Tax, Rs 456 crore from property tax, fees, and government taxes, Rs 515 crore from development fees, Rs 150 crore from water cess, Rs 180 crore from grants from Maharashtra and Union governments.

As regards expenditure, he said Rs 742.14 crore was earmarked for the public works, Rs 255.98 crore for the water supply, Rs 218.33 crore for the waste management.
"Rs 297.21 crore have been earmarked for the smart city, Amrut and JNNURM, and around Rs 202 crore for the education among other expenses," Jaiswal said.

According to him, the memorial for late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray which was coming up in the city would be completed by end of this year and sufficient provision had been made for the same in the budget.
Among other schemes included in the budget are GPS for the garbage collection trucks, pension for handicapped who are above the age of 60, installation of solar panels on the civic schools, robotic road sweepers, installation of CCTVs in all schools.