Dawn-to-dusk bandh on in Agartala

Congress is protesting the hike in property tax in Agartala

A dawn-to-dusk bandh by opposition Congress in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area on Friday against proposed hike in property tax evoked mixed response.

The bandh has been been mostly peaceful so far barring an incident in which a vehicle engaged by the civic body was slightly damaged by bandh supporters near Congress Bhavan in Agartala, SP (Police Control) Uttam Bhowmick said.

President of Tripura PCC and MLA, Birajit Sinha and another MLA Gopal Roy were arrested along with 15 picketers while picketing near the civil secretariat in the morning hours.

Shops and markets remained closed and vehicles did not ply on the roads. Banks and financial institutions and schools and colleges remained closed in the AMC areas, while attendance in the civil secretariat and government offices were thin.

State Urban Development minister, Manik Dey said the new property tax was proposed by AMC following directives from the Centre for simplification of tax collection process and would not affect the people.

"According to the proposal tax would be reduced in most parts of the AMC and there might be some enhancement in some areas," he said adding the bandh was 'unethical'.

Nearly five lakh people dwell in AMC area.