Deora says property tax waiver in Mumbai is "farce"

Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora said Wednesday the city's residents should not pay property tax for the assessment year 2017-18, because the Maharashtra government's waiver of the tax was a joke.

The Shiv Sena and BJP, who control the Mumbai civic body, have fooled the people, said Deora, the Congress candidate from Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat.

The Maharashtra ordinance number 11 of 2019 is a "farce" as it waives only 0.110 per cent of the property tax, therefore all Mumbai residents who live in houses not bigger than 500 sq ft "should NOT pay their property tax for the year 2017-18", Deora tweeted.

Addressing a press conference earlier, Deora attacked the Sena-BJP combine on the issue, and made the same appeal to Mumbai residents.

"The Sena-BJP alliance has fooled the people of Mumbai and failed to fulfil its promise. The financial position of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) is robust and it can easily afford to waive property tax for owners of properties up to 500 sq ft carpet area," he said.

The Mumbai Congress chief said that following the Sena's promise to waive property tax, the BMC asked the state government to implement it, and the latter issued an ordinance last month.

However, the government resolution of March 8, 2019, only amended section 140 (C) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act and only the general tax component - which varies from 10 per cent to 30 per cent of total tax slab - was exempted, he alleged.

Further, the GR said the exemption would come into effect from January 1, 2019, but the BMC issued bills for up to March 31 (without exemption), Deora alleged.

The Sena-BJP rule has ruined Mumbai as the city's infrastructure was crumbling and the quality of life was deteriorating, he said.