Now RWAs slam increase in property tax: ‘A burden on the city residents

CRAWFED chairman Hitesh Puri said, “The massive increase in tax rates has caused chaos among the people of Chandigarh. The corporation’s treasury is empty, and no funds are being received from the Central government. The corporation is resorting to punishing the public for its failures by drastically increasing the rates of various services without proposing any improvement in it.”

“So far, the water tariff has been increased by 5 per cent, commercial property tax by four times, residential property tax by three times, parking fees have been increased, and electricity bills have been hiked. This has caused great resentment among both the common people and the business community. Since a majority of the population in Chandigarh comprises salaried individuals who live within their limited resources, the corporation’s exorbitant tax increases have caused significant anger among them,” added Puri.

The business community in Chandigarh, which is already facing numerous challenges, is distressed by the fourfold increase in property tax and other taxes. They are saying that they will either have to close their businesses or shift to Mohali or Panchkula, said Puri.

Also, FOSWAC chairman Baljinder Singh Bittu said, “This tax increase is a burden on the city residents. If the government does not have money, they will not start levying extra tax on people to increase their income.”

On Thursday, Deputy Mayor Taruna Mehta had resigned from the Municipal Corporation’s House Tax Committee in protest against the recent three-fold increase in property tax in Chandigarh.
Her resignation highlights growing dissent within the civic body over the steep tax hike, which has triggered widespread public outrage.

The BJP councillors and Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla had in a meeting held recently at BJP headquarters also considered collective resignation as a mark of protest against the administration’s unilateral decisions.

Babla too had said earlier that “the increase in property tax has to be rolled back”. “Without consulting the councillors, the property tax has been increased, which will not be tolerated. We have been asking the Administration for funds, which they are not allocating us. All the expenses are on us, nothing is going right in the city, roads are not in good condition, there is a shortage of water,” said Babla.

Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee president H S Lucky said BJP councillors should immediately resign from their positions in protest.

Lucky dared the BJP councillors to publicly announce the time, location, and the name of the official to whom their resignations would be submitted. He assured that the Congress party’s Senior Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and all Congress councillors would reach the designated spot before the BJP councillors to demonstrate their genuine commitment to the cause and solidarity with the people of Chandigarh.

Criticising the Chandigarh Administration’s decision to impose yet another financial burden, Lucky accused the BJP of working in collusion with the administration to exploit the citizens. “At a time when people are already struggling with inflation and unemployment, this new and arbitrary property tax is a direct assault on the common man,” he said.

“It has been nearly three months since their Mayor assumed office, but there has been no improvement. Instead of bringing in funds from the Centre or securing resources from the Administration, the BJP is now dipping into the pockets of ordinary citizens,” he added.

“The BJP boasts about its ‘double engine’ government. Despite being in power at the Centre and even the city’s administration functioning under the Home Ministry, they have completely failed to safeguard the interests of the people of Chandigarh,” Lucky said.