Ahead of no-trust motion, Nashik civic chief cuts property tax

Nashik civic chief Tukaram Mundhe today announced reduction in property tax by half, two days before a special general body meeting is likely to discuss a no confidence motion against him.

According to sources in the BJP-ruled Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), Mundhe yesterday met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nashik district Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan in Mantralaya in Mumbai.

Local politicians had protested against Mundhe's earlier decision to hike property tax in a bid to shore up revenues of the civic body.

Mundhe told reporters today that people unhappy with slashed property tax can appeal against the decision within 21 days.

A special general body meeting of the civic body is likely to be held on September 1 to discuss the motion moved against the bureaucrat by the BJP corporators.

Mayor Ranjana Bhansi (BJP) had said citizens are unhappy with the NMC's recent "drastic upward revision" of tax rates.

"For a property of 1,300 sqft, the tax has gone up from Rs 3,400 to Rs 21,000," she said.

The mayor had claimed that the "rights" of corporators were snatched away by Mundhe.

The NMC commissioner had termed as "untrue and unfounded" the allegations raised by the corporators over his style of functioning.

Mundhe, who was serving as the chairman and managing director of Pune Municipal Transport Corporation Limited, was posted as the municipal commissioner of Nashik in February this year.

The transfer came just 11 months after he was shifted from the post of Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner.

Mundhe, an IAS officer of 2005 batch, faced similar problems with politicians during much of his tenure and is said to have been transferred 10 times in the last 10 years.

In the 122-member NMC, the ruling BJP has 66 members, the Shiv Sena 35, the NCP 6, the Congress 6, the MNS 5, RPI 1 1 and Independents 3.